Rail Programs Division annual report

T 1300.3 R152a 2002 c.1 A Report Submitted to
The Honorable Brad Henry
Governor of Oklahoma
Secretary of Transportation
Phil Tomlinson
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
History
Program Description
Objectives of the Program
Legislative Authority
Funding History
Program Accomplishments
Acquisitions of Railroads
Status of State Owned Rail Properties
Revenue return to the State
Proposed Projects
Port Intermodal Facilities
Safety Program
Passenger Rail Activities
Amtrak/Heartland Flyer
Original Passenger Rail Study
Tulsa to Oklahoma City Commuter Route
High Speed Rail Initiative
HSR Project Study Corridors
Future of the Program
Administrative Changes
Administrative Challenges
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 1
Executive Summary
The 1978 Oklahoma State legislature created the "Railroad Revitalization
Act" under House Bill 1623. This foresight by the Governor and the
Legislature was the primary influence in the preservation of the freight rail
infrastructure the State of Oklahoma has today. This bill provided specific
powers and duties for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation in
dealing with the multitude of rail issues facing the State of Oklahoma.
Under this bill the Department was authorized and empowered to acquire,
construct, repair, operate and maintain railroad rights-of-way and trackage
on feasible and economically sound routes; to participate in all matters
related to rail ownership including operating, agreements, the securing of
state or federal grants; and to make and enter all contracts as it may deem
necessary and proper for carrying out the provisions of this act.
Through an initial legislative appropriation of $22 million, the Department
aggressively pursued the purchase of recently abandoned rail lines of the
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas
Railroad companies. Since these initial rail purchases of approximately
475 miles of track in 1981 and 1982, the Department has nearly doubled
that mileage and successfully leased 94% of the present operations to
Class I and Class III operators through the foresight of the original
legislative efforts. The contributions of these forward thinking legislative
and gubernatorial participants, initiated the preservation and restoration of
rail service to shippers and customers, while contributing to the
Oklahoma's overall economic development. Many communities and
industries who previously relied on rail support and were in jeopardy of
losing rail as a transportation alternative, continue to utilized rail service on
the routes preserved through the various purchases facilitated by this
legislation. Many areas have also experienced economic growth that can
be directly attributed to the availability of rail as a freight transportation
alternative.
The Department's primary rail interest through 1998 had been the
purchase and redevelopment of rail freight lines, however, the first
regularly scheduled passenger train service returned to Oklahoma in 1999
after an absence of nearly twenty years. Amtrak, partnering with the
Department, developed a daily round trip passenger service between
Oklahoma City and Ft. Worth, Texas. Additional station stops are Norman,
Purcell, Pauls Valley, Ardmore, and Gainesville, Texas. Total ridership
numbers have for exceeded expectations with ongoing efforts are under
way to incrementally reduce the present travel time between Oklahoma City
and Ft. Worth. Preliminary travel time projections indicate that the present
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAM5 DIVISION •• 2
total travel time of Four hours and 30 Minutes can be reduced by
approximately 35 minutes with the grade crossing signal improvements
presently programmed in the State of Oklahoma. The State of Texas is
considering implementing similar improvements, which are anticipated to
reduce the travel time by an additional 25 minutes resulting in a total travel
time of Three hours and 30 minutes. This projected travel time would be
extremely competitive with present automobile travel times under favorable
conditions.
A private consulting firm finalized the original High Speed Passenger Rail
Feasibility Study in March of 2001, which included an evaluation of the
existing routes for passenger rail service. The original study underscored
the importance of an additional passenger rail connection between
Oklahoma City and Tulsa to facilitate the ridership and connectivity
necessary to develop a feasible passenger rail system in the State of
Oklahoma and throughout the remainder of the region. A significant
accomplishment of the original rail feasibility study was the completion of a
successful application for designation by the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) and the United States Department of Transportation
(DOT) as a High Speed Rail Corridor from Ft. Worth to Tulsa in October of
2000, including the existing Heartland Flyer Route between Oklahoma City
and Ft. Worth. A rail passenger system across Oklahoma with ties to major
cities in the north and south has the potential to greatly enhance growth
and help ease increasingly common highway congestion problems.
Additional rail planning efforts in the State of Oklahoma have been
focused on the development of potential new High Speed Rail (HSR) routes
between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The completion of the Oklahoma High
Speed Rail Initiative report resulted in a FLI-Mapping grant from the FRA
administered by the Volpe Center through the Army Corp of Engineers to
provide detail survey data that will be necessary to further assess the
proposed high speed rail alignment alternatives between Oklahoma City
and Tulsa. The detailed mapping obtained from this project will provide
the data necessary for the final preliminary planning efforts, the associated
environmental efforts, and serve as the official mapping for the
development of the final design for the preferred alignment alternative.
The Department's Rail Programs Division continues to fulfill its obligations
as originally set forth in the 1978 bill striving for a progressive and
balanced transportation system through the State of Oklahoma. The
elimination of the Local Rail Freight Assistance, (49 USC Chapter 221, Sec.
22101) program in conjunction with the adoption of the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) in 1991 has significantly impacted the
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVSION 3
amount of federal & state funding available for rail maintenance or
infrastructure improvements. A new State loan program has recently been
developed through the Railroad Rehabilitation Act (66 O.S. Supp. 2002,
See. 309.3) that could potentially help offset the impacts associated with the
loss of the LFRAprogram. The Railroad Rehabilitation Act requires the
ODOT Rail Programs Division to develop a plan for the loan program that
includes provisions for the development of the terms and the approval
processes for the proposed loans, the development of any necessary rules
or specific limitations for the use of the funds acquired through the loan
processes, as well as the mechanisms by which the loans will be distributed.
Some of the significant challenges associated with this new program will be
the fair and equal distribution of the loans, and the development of
sufficient guidelines for administering the program. An emergency
Transportation Commission Rule (Title 730, Sec. 40, Chapter 3) has been
filed with the Secretary of State through the Office of Administrative Rules,
which has allowed the loan program to be initiated. The emergency rule
extends through July 2003 and the paperwork to file a permanent rule for
the loan program is on schedule to be completed by the end of April 2003.
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 4
History
Rail transportation in the State of Oklahoma was implemented by the Missouri
Kansas Texas (Katy) Railroad on June 6, 1870. Railroad construction had not
been allowed in "Indian Territory" until after treaties with the Five Civilized Tribes;
the Cherokees, Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws, and Chickasaws, had been
renegotiated at the end of the Civil War in 1865. Under the new agreements, the
Five Nations were required to allow one east/west and one north/south railroad
route to be constructed across Indian Territory. The Katy was the first to make
application with Congress to cross Indian Territory and laid the first rail in the
State of Oklahoma beginning at the State line north of Russell, Oklahoma,
continuing into Vinita on a line currently operated by the Union Pacific Railroad.
The next railroad to enter the State was the Eastern Division of the Atlantic and
Pacific Railroad (A&P), which later became a component of the Frisco System, and
is presently a component of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway
Company. The A&P reached Vinita on September 1, 1871 where operations were
suspended on both railroads until after 1881 when the A&P continued construction
into Tulsa crossing the Arkansas River in 1886 and finishing the route into
Oklahoma City in 1898. The transportation opportunities provided via rail
infrastructure initiated the more rapid growth of two communities that would
evolve into the two largest economic centers in present day Oklahoma. The
following graphic depicts railroads constructed or planned for construction in
"Indian Territory" prior to 1875.
Indian Territory
Railroad construction continued at a blistering pace in the State of Oklahoma until
the late 1940's or early 1950's with over 6500 miles of railroad construction
recorded by the State.
OOOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 5
Program Description
The following information provides an overview of rail program objectives, the
legislation initiating State Rail Programs, and a Summary of Funding sources to
date.
Objectives of the Program
One of the foremost objectives of the Oklahoma's Rail Programs Division has
been the support of alternative transportation modes for freight transportation
throughout the State. With the onslaught of railroad abandonment in the late
1970's and early 1980's it became apparent that a valuable component of the
State's transportation network would be significantly altered if an initiative to
maintain the existing rail infrastructure were not developed. The failure of the
Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad in the late 1970's had the potential to
significantly impact several industries within the State who were highly dependant
on rail transportation. The foresight of the governors office and the legislature
facilitated the development of specific legislature to preserve freight rail
transportation alternatives in various regions of the State. The legislation adopted
by the State of Oklahoma enabled ODOT to purchase rail routes critical to many
industries that were in jeopardy of being abandoned. The objective of the State
was to acquire the critical routes and facilitate the operation of those routes by
independent short line or Class One railroad operators. The impact of this
legislation significantly altered what remains as the present day rail infrastructure
in the State of Oklahoma.
Present Rail Infrastructure
Legislative Authority
In 1978 the Oklahoma Railroad Revitalization Act (66 O.S. Supp. 1978, See.
302.1 et.seq.) was instituted under House Bill Number 1623. This Act enabled
OOOT to acquire and maintain railroad rights-ot-way, enter into operating
OOOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 6
agreements, and to administer funding allocated from public and private sources
that would be necessary to assist short line or Class One operators maintain
operations on State acquired rail properties. Section 309 of the Act established
the Railroad Maintenance Revolving Fund (66 O.S. Supp. 1978, See. 309).
Funding History
The Railroad Maintenance Revolving Fund was to be administered by the State
Treasurer's Office with the funding being utilized by OOOT to implement the
Railroad Revitalization Act. The primary funding source for the Railroad
Maintenance Revolving Fund is the Oklahoma Freight Car Tax (68 O.S. See. 2201
et. seq.), which imposes a tax equivalent to 4 percent of the gross earnings of a
freight car operating within the State. This fund generates approximately
$800,000 annually. Under the provisions of the Revitalization Act, $12,000,000
was appropriated from the General Revenue Fund of the State Treasury, in the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1980. with an additional $10,000,000 appropriated
in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1981. This original $22,000,000 investment
was primarily utilized to purchase rights-of-way in danger of being abandoned
after the failure of the
Chicago, Rock Island, &
Pacific Railroad in the
late 1970's. Illustrated
here in red.
State funds generated from the Railroad Maintenance Revolving Fund have been
utilized for various purchases and maintenance items over the past 20 years.
Below is a list of expenditures from State funding sources, including any funds
used to match Federal funding allocations.
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 7
State Funds - Rehabilitation Materials/Projects
Altus-Devol (20% Match for 1980 FRA Grant) $148070.00
Altus-Devol (20% Match for 1981 FRA Grant) $757,178.00
Hydro-Elk City (30% Match for 1982 FRA Grant) $575,214.00
Materials for OKT Properties - 1983 $500,000.00
Materials for Altus-Devol $355000.00
Materials for Hydro-Erick $136,677.00
Materials for McAlester - Howe $145,000.00
Board of Claims Award - Altus-Devol $1,280,602.00
Materials for AT&L $52734.00
Materials for Farmrail $228,175.00
Walters To Waurika $819,732.9~
Materials for WTS $1,899,144.90
Emergency Flood Repairs- WTJ* $1055999.71
Railroad Signal Projects - Farmrail $525,334.95
Crossing Surfaces-Frederick -WTJ $54,765.61
Geary Signal Project-AT&L $28,501.26
BNSF Signal Project $26,000.00
Materials for State Properties $365,978.70
State Property Computer Mapping $39,420.00
Improvements at 3 Bridges $355,000.00
Corridor & Signal Iml'rovements $412,000.00
Right of Way Improvements $9,250.00
Total Expenditures $9,769,778.18
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 8
Federal funding allocations have been used to maintain Oklahoma railroad
operations to the extent possible through various programs, which often require
matching funds. The Railroad Revolving Maintenance Fund has allowed OOOT to
acquire Federal funds that would not have been available had the matching funds
not been provided at the State level. The following table lists the various Federal
funding allocations used for maintaining rail operations on Oklahoma's State-owned
rights-of-way including the percentage of the matching funds required and
by whom the match was provided.
Federal Funding Grants and Matching Funds
FiscalYear Grant Local Match Ratio By
1980 $1,241,078 $310,270 80/20 State
1981 $3,028,710 $757,178 80/20 State
1982 $1,342,165 $575,214 70/30 State
1983/84 $1,612,813 $691,206 70/30 OKTRR
1985 $526,989 $225,852 70/30 OKTRR
1986 $712,414 $305,320 70/30 OKTRR
1988 $50,000 $21,483 70/30 Farmrail
1989 $48,000 $20,571 70/30 Farmrail
1990 $35,892 $15,382 70/30 Farmrail
1992 $36,000 $15,429 . 70/30 Farmrail
1993 $41,200 $17,658 70/30 Farmrail
1993-1** $300,000 $128,572 70/30 Farmrai1
1994 $36,000 $15,429 70/30 Farmrail
1994-1 ** $400,000 $218,000 70/30 Farmrail
1995 $36,000 $15,429 70/30 Farmrail
1995-1** $170,100 $72,900 70/30 Farmrail
1998 $736,091 $963,909 45155 State
TOTAL $10,353,452 $4,369,8021
GRAND TOTAL: $14,671,8251
*$310,270.00 = $162,200.00 Acquisition
= $148,070.00 Rehabilitation
Altus-Devol
** Represents Discretionary Fund
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION •• 9
Program Accomplishments
This section outlines the progress or milestones obtained by Oklahoma's Rail
Program initiatives over the past two decades. The comparison between the
routes abandoned since 1978 and the routes purchased by the State through the
provisions of the Railroad Revitalization Act, illustrate the impact of Oklahoma's
Rail Programs on the transportation network presently available throughout the
State. Since the peak of rail operations in Oklahoma during the mid to late
1940's over 2800 miles of rail have been abandoned. In an effort to reduce the
number of abandonments after the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad
declared bankruptcy in 1978 and sought ways to downsize operations throughout
the State, the State of Oklahoma became one of the first States to participate in
the purchase of rail infrastructure and the coordination of third party rail
operations, again illustrating the forward thinking and innovative transportation
solutions generated by the legislation that initiated Oklahoma's present freight rail
program. The Oklahoma program has served for years as a model by which a
majority of other States have based components of their existing rail programs
involving State ownership. Short Line operators have become a very important
component of the present rail infrastructure throughout the nation. Lower
overhead rates, non-union labor, and governmental funding assistance have
allowed routes that could not sustain self sufficient operations as a Class One
operation, to remain in operation providing an alternative transportation mode for
a growing number of rail customers. The overall impact of the downsizing of rail
infrastructure throughout the United States has been minimized in Oklahoma
because of the unprecedented legislative provisions formulated in the original
"Railroad Revitalization Act". The routes illustrated in red below are those which
have been abandoned since 1978, the total of which is approximately 1240 miles.
Rail Routes Abandoned Since 1978
10
Further abandonment would have been inevitable if the Railroad Revitalization Act
had not been implemented in 1978. The following graphic denotes the State
owned rail routes, all of which were subject to abandonment prior to being
purchased by the State.
State Owned Rail Infrastructure
The following table depicts the status of the rail infrastructure in both 1978 and
2002 illustrating the impact that State Owned properties have on both present day
operations and how the amount of mileage abandoned has been significantly
reduced through State involvement.
Mileage
Total Active in 2002 3743
Class One Operators 68% 2535
Shortline Operators (Class III) 32% 1208
Routes Purchased by the State 24% 882
State Rail Infrastructure Statistics
Mileage
Total Active in 1978 4991
Abandoned 25% 1248
Routes Purchased by the State 18% 882
Oklahoma is fortunate in that the State-Owned rail
infrastructure, which constitutes approximately 24% of
the routes that are presently in service, was preserved
through an aggressive, innovative, and forward
thinking piece of legislature that few other States have
been fortunate enough to adopt. The amount of rail
infrastructure preserved through the Railroad
Revitalization Act constitutes approximately 18% of the
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 11
miles originally in service in 1978. The schedule of acquisition and the associated
cost of the individual routes are depicted in the following table.
Property Acquisitions
Location Length Cost
Hydro-Elk City 62.40 miles $3,100,000
Altus-Devol" 61.02 miles $162,200
OKT Properties 350.93 miles $15,000,000
E1Reno-Hydro 37.60 miles $1,700,000
Elk City-Erick 27.05 miles $324,000
McAlester- Howe 69.60 miles $2,778,406
Thomas-Elmer 89.32 miles $1,195,965
OKC- Tinker Line 5.00 miles $350,000
Blackwell- KS State line 17.00 miles $460,000
OKC-Sapulpa 97.50 miles $5,950,000
Stillwater - Pawnee 22.21 miles $600,000
Guthrie - Fairmont 42.80 miles $2,600,000
Total Acquisition 882.43 miles $34,220,571
Current Total Miles ** 866.93 miles I
Pending I
Shawnee- McAlester 83.94 miles $ 3,200,000 (Est)
In November 1981 the Department acquired 62.4 miles of former Chicago, Rock
Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P) between Hydro and Elk City for $3,100,000.
These properties are leased to the Farmrail Corporation (FMRC) under a long-term
lease and operating agreement. The
segment from Weatherford to Hydro is not
being operated at this time primarily due
to lack of rail traffic and several track
washouts that occurred west of Hydro in
the fall of 1987.
Status of State Owned Rail Properties
As a result of the Oklahoma Railroad Revitalization Act in 1978, the Department
received $12,000,000 in Fiscal Year 1980 and $10,000,000 Fiscal Year 1981 for
a total initial appropriation of $22,000,000. The sequence of acquisitions were
as follows:
ODOT RAIL LT PROGRAMS DIVISION 12
In June 1982 the Department acquired 61.02 miles of abandoned Missouri-
Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT) between Altus and
the Oklahoma/T exas state line south of Devol in
Cotton County for $811,000. This was a joint
Federal-State purchase with 80% funding
provided through Federal grant monies. These
properties initially were operated and managed
by the MKT Railroad under a long-term lease and
operating agreement. In November 1988, the
MKT Railroad was acquired by the Union Pacific
Railroad Corporation and the operating
agreement was assigned to the Union Pacific (UP) Railroad as the MKT's
successor. In January 1991, by mutual agreement, the lease and operating
agreement between the Department and the UP terminated. Concurrent with
termination of that agreement, a long-term lease and operating agreement
between the Department and the Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway Company
(WTJ) was executed. The WTJ was a new shortline railroad company formed for
the express purpose of operating and I -- -- - --
managing these properties and a short
segment of the Oklahoma, Kansas and
Texas Railway Company properties
between Waurika and Walters.
In October 1982 the Department acquired
350.93 miles of former CRI&P Railroad for $15,000,000. These properties
generally are referred to as the OKT Properties and encompass the former Rock
Island north-south mainline from the Kansas state line south through Enid, EI
Reno, Chickasha, Duncan, and Waurika to the Texas state line; the east-west
mainline between EI Reno and
Oklahoma City, and the branch line
loop from Chickasha to Anadarko,
Lawton, and Waurika where it rejoined
the north-south mainline. These
properties initially were operated and
managed under a long-term lease-purchase
and operating agreement by
the Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas
(OKT) Railroad Company, a subsidiary of the MKT.
In December 1987, a 15.5-mile segment of the OKT properties between Lawton
and Walters (a component of the Lawton branch line) was abandoned and the
material salvaged, effectively reducing the OKT properties from 350.93 miles to
335.43 miles.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 13
In July 1983 the Department acquired 37.6 miles between EI Reno and Hydro
from the former CRI&P Railroad for $1,700,000. The segment of these properties
from EI Reno to Geary (approximately 20 miles) is
operated and managed by the Austin, Todd and
Ladd (AT&L) Railroad Company under a long-term
lease-purchase agreement. The AT&L
Railroad is owned by Wheeler Brothers Grain
Company, headquartered in Watonga, who had
purchased the former CRI&P Railroad between
Geary and Watonga (approximately 17 miles)
and presently operate the two segments as a unit.
In November 1988, MKT/OKT Railroad Companies were acquired by the Union
Pacific Railroad Corporation and the lease/purchase and operating agreement
assigned to Union Pacific (UP) Railroad for the continued operation and
management of OKT properties, as the successor to the MKT/OKT. The properties
are operated and managed as a component of the UP system.
In January 1991, the Department agreed to allow UP to sublease the operation
and management of the 23.9-mile Waurika to Walters branch line, a component
of the original OKT properties, to the
Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway
Company. This sublease did not relieve
UP Railroad of any obligations or
responsibilities contained in the OKT lease
purchase and operating agreement.
On May 14, 1986, an operating agreement with a one-year term was executed
between the Department and the AT&L for the operation of the contiguous 9.5-
mile segment between Geary and Bridgeport, which expanded the AT&L's
operation on state rail property to 29.5 miles, and AT&L's total service area
(including their own 17 miles between Geary and Watonga) to 46.5 miles. On
May 22, 1987, an operating agreement was executed between the Department
and AT&L for the continued operation of this 9.5-mile segment of the track. AT&L
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 14
and the Department have since extended the term limits of the operating
agreement.
A 12-mile segment of the route from Bridgeport to 3.5 miles west of Hydro is not
leased or operated because of current bridge problems. This is one segment of
the 866.93 miles of state-owned rail properties that is currently not leased for
operations. Engineering rehabilitation of the bridges on this route have been
postponed pending additional engineering evaluation.
In May 1985 the Department acquired 27.05 miles between Elk City and Erick, for
$324,000. Form roil Corporation is operating these properties under a long-term lease
agreement. The rail between Erick and the
Texas state line (approximately 7 miles) has
been abandoned and removed.
In February 1986 the Department acquired 69.6 miles between McAlester and
Howe for a total of $2,778,406. These properties were initially operated by the
MKT Railroad under a long-term lease and operating agreement, which allowed
the operator the option to purchase the property at any time during the lease
term. In November 1988, Union Pacific Railroad Corporation assumed the lease
and operating agreement when UP acquired the MKT Railroad Company. UP
operated this line segment until February 1996, when the lease and operating
agreement were reassigned to a new shortline operator, the Arkansas-Oklahoma
Railroad Company. The AOK Railroad Company operated the line under UP's
authority until June 1998. Currently, the
AOK has met all contractual obligations with
UP, and has been fully assigned as MKT's
successor to the original 1986 agreement.
The rail between Howe and the Arkansas
state line (approximately 11.1 miles) has
been abandoned and removed.
In December 1992 the Department acquired 89.32 miles of the Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe Railway's "Orient" Line between Thomas and Elmer for $1,195,965.
These properties are operated by the Farmrail Corporation under a long-term
lease agreement.
In June 1994 the Department acquired 76.21 miles of abandoned railroad right-of-
way (no rail) between Thomas and Cherokee, for $440,000. The Department
salvaged bridge materials along the line, and the right-of-way was then sold to
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 15
adjoining landowners and municipalities. The Department obtained a net income
of $8,875 from these properties.
In May 1995 the Department acquired five miles from eastern Oklahoma City
limits to Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City for $350,000. These properties
often referred to as the "Tinker Line," are operated under a long-term track lease
and operating agreement with the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad
Company (SKO). This agreement was signed December 1995; however, actual
operation was not initiated immediately because the Burlington Northern and
Santa Fe Railroad had removed a crossing diamond across their track, which
prohibited access to the Midwest City line. In December 1998 the Department
hired a private contractor to install a wye connection to reconnect the Midwest City
line providing the SKO access to Midwest City.
In September 1997 the Department acquired 17 miles from Blackwell, north to the
Kansas state line for $460,000. This purchase is part of a joint effort with the
Blackwell Industrial Authority, whom purchased a
17-mile portion of the same rail line from the
Kansas state line to Wellington, Kansas. The
"Blackwell Line" was originally owned and
operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
Railway Company. The properties from Blackwell,
to Wellington, Kansas, were originally operated for
the Department, under a long-term track lease and
operating agreement by South Kansas and
Oklahoma Railroad Company. The most current operating agreement was
completed on October 17, 2000 with the Blackwell and Northern Railroad
Company, Inc. under a five year term
operating and lease agreement.
In February 1998 the Department acquired two rail lines from the Burlington
Northern Santa Fe Railroad Company. The first line extends 22.21 miles from
Stillwater in Payne County, to Pawnee in Pawnee County. The second line extends
from Oklahoma City to Sapulpa in Creek
County for a distance of 97.5 miles. After an
advertised search for an operator, the
Department selected Stillwater Central Railroad
Company to manage and operate both rail
lines. The purchase price for both segments
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 16
was $6,550,000, the funding for which came from the Rail Revolving Maintenance
Fund.
In October 1998 the Department acquired 42.8 miles of track from the Burlington
Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad Company for $2,600,000. The line extends
from Guthrie in Logan County, to Fairmont in Garfield County and connects to the
BNSF mainline in Guthrie. The City of Guthrie had originally been given a two-year
time frame, which began January 1, 1999, to secure an operator. The
original agreement indicated that if an operator could not be established during
the specified timeframe, the state would salvage
the line and recover the original investment. A
one year time extension was granted to the City
in both 2001 and 2002 to allow them some
additional time to secure an operator. As of the
date of this report, an operator has not been
secured and active rail freight service has not
been re-initiated on this route.
Revenue Return to the State
As of December 31, 2002, Oklahoma owns 866.93 miles of mainline and
branchline railroad, of which 814.90 miles (94%) are leased for operation and
management to seven different railroad companies as nine separate operations.
The State has entered into a long-term lease or lease/purchase and operating
agreement with each of the seven operators, tailored to the specific characteristics
of each individual operation. Each operating agreement was developed around
the basic premise of providing rail freight service to areas of rural Oklahoma
where service had been lost or was on the verge of being lost, and no private
corporation was willing to invest the capital necessary to reinstate or preserve rail
service. Another basic premise of each agreement is that the operation will be
self-supporting; the State will pay no operating subsidy to any operator. The State
may, nevertheless, choose to assist operators with extraordinary rehabilitation or
repair costs through the purchase of materials for installation by the operator at
the operator's expense. Generally, the State becomes involved only when such
cost would represent an undue burden to one of its operators. The Department
may also choose to participate jointly with the operator on projects that would
significantly improve safety or service. The operation or sale of the most recent
42.8-mile purchase, Guthrie to Fairmont, is presently being negotiated.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 17
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State Owned Rail Routes
Each of the nine separate operations return lease revenues to the State to help
perpetuate a continuing rail program. To date we have received the following
returns:
Farmrail Corporation (FMRC) Sunbelt Line
Presently operates the 79-mile segment between Hydro and Erick, and during the
period from November 1981 through December 2002, has returned
$1, 14~,323.35 to the State from its ~ -:
operation. --
Farmrail Corporation (FMRC) Orient Line
Presently operates the 89.32-mile segment between Thomas and Elmer, and
during the period from December 1992 through December 2002, has returned
$449,~93.27 to the State from its ~ - __ .
operation. ~
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 18
The Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP)
Presently operates 335.43 miles (the north-south
mainline through Enid, EI Reno, Duncan,
and Waurika; the Lawton loop, and the east-west
piece between EI Reno and Oklahoma
City) under a thirty-year lease/purchase
agreement. During the period from January
1983 through December 2002,
$21,561,622.89 has been to the State. The
terms of the UP lease/purchase agreement are
such that the annual payment increased to
$600,000 in November 1987, increased to $1,200,000 in November 1992; to
$1,500,000 in November 1997; and to $1,800,000 in November 2002, with the
final $1,800,000 payment due in November
2011 . Total payments for the term of the agreement are $35,000,000. These annual
payments will continue to be augmented by a
share of the income generated by UP's leasing
and sales activities.
The Wichita, Tillman & Jackson Railroad Company (WT&J)
Presently operates the 61.02 mile line-segment from the Texas/Oklahoma state
line south of Devol in Cotton County, northwest to Altus, and subleases the 23.9
mile segment of OKT properties from Waurika to Walters from the UP under a
long-term lease and operating agreement which became effective January 14,
1991. From August 1982 through January 13, 1991, this property was operated
by the MKT followed by the UP as MKT's
successor. During that period this
operation returned $205A66 to the State.
The WTJ Railroad Company has operated
this line for ten years, January 1991
through December 2002, and has
returned $261 A46 to the State.
The AT&L (AT&L)
Presently operates the 20-mile segment between EI Reno and Geary under a long-term
lease/purchase and operating ~Z
agreement. For the period from May 1985~ - 1 .
through December 2002, AT&L has returned
$567,325.40 to the State from this operation.
For the period between May 1985 and May
1989, AT&L's annual payment was $25,000;
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 19
this payment increased to $30,000 in May 1990; increased to $35,000 in May
1995; and is scheduled to increase to $37,000 in May 2005, with the final
$37,000 payment due in May 2014. Total payments for the term of the
agreement will be $995,000.
In addition to the above property, the AT&L Railroad operates an additional
9.5 miles between Geary and Bridgeport under a five-year lease. This agreement
is structured to allow for the minimal rental charges to be applied to improvement
of the track infrastructure.
The Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad (AOK)
Presently operates the 69.6-mile segment between McAlester and Howe, under a
long-term lease and operating agreement, [J(:Z
which began February 1996. To date the AOK
has returned $101,905.93 to the State from
their operation. Prior to the AOK, the UP
operated this line from February 1986 through
January 1996, returning $402,100.00 to the
State.
South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (SKO)
Operates the Midwest City line under a Track Lease and Operating Agreement,
which began December 1995. However, they were not physically able to operate
this line because the tracks crossing the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway
were removed prior to the purchase by the
State. In December 1998, the State :
completed the necessary rail work, which now
allows for full operation of the line, however,
no specific market had been developed as of
December 2002.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 20
Blackwell and Northern Railroad (B&NR)
Operates under a Track Lease and Operating
Agreement on the Blackwell Line and began providing
rail freight service in October 2002. The SKO operated
the line prior to the B&NR and returned $16,413.12 to
the State.
Stillwater Central Railroad (SLWC)
Operates two segments of track purchased by the State from the Burlington
Northern and Santa Fe Railway. The two segments, Stillwater to Pawnee and
Oklahoma City to Sapulpa, are operated
under separate track lease and operating
agreements, which were initiated in June
1998. To date the SKO has returned
$234,303.90 to the State on these operations.
ODOT has also collected $19,945.68 in
miscellaneous income from lease payments
and land sales on rail lines leased or sold through December 2002.
Of the total 866.93 miles of railroad properties owned by the State, 814.90 miles
(94%) are leased to operating carriers at this time. Total income to the State from
all such operations for the nineteen-year period from November 1981, when the
first freight operation was initiated, through December 2002, was $24,962,246.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 21
Rail Programs Accounting Summary
Acquisitions $34,220,571.00
Rehabilitations Materials & Projects $9,769,778.18
Total State Funds InvestedlExpended
For The Years 1981 through 1999 $43,990,349.18
Total Federal Railroad Administration
Grants Expended on State Properties $10,353,452.00
Total Local Match (Non-State)
Expended on State Properties $1,763,23l.00
Total Funds Invested for
State Properties& Rail Program $56,107,032.18
Total Income From State
Owned Rail Properties $24,962,245.54
Proposed Projects
One of the primary responsibilities of the Rail Programs Division is to identify rail
related improvement projects that would greatly enhance operations or facilitate
additional customers. The scope of these projects include various types of
improvements selected to facilitate the better utilization of State owned track.
Once the projects have been identified, the projects are prioritized based on
potential customer and operator benefits. The Rail Programs staff normally
provides recommendations regarding the prioritization of projects; however, the
final decision for project authorization rests with the Department's executive staff.
The primary funding responsibilities of the Rail Programs Division are the
identification of available State funds for the proposed rail improvements, the
identification of potential external funding sources, the development of accurate
cost estimates, and the definition of the time constraints anticipated for proposed
funding allocations.
The Rail Programs Division has developed the following list of eighteen proposed
projects that have been identified as economically feasible. These projects have
been divided into two distinct categories; three projects presently considered to be
industrial development projects and fifteen projects considered to be track
rehabilitation projects. Industrial Development Projects are projects anticipated to
have a substantial impact on industries that will benefit from access or enhanced
access to rail service.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 22
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS State Portion Total
1 Construct siding at Redoak (AOK) $200,000 $400,000
2 Reconstruct BNSFIUP Interchange at Fort Sill for switching $150,000 $450,000
3 Connnection track Port of Muskogee (Active, Not Complete) $1,000,000 $2,000,000
Total Industrial Development Expenditures $1,350,000 $2,850,00Q
Track rehabilitation projects cover a broader range of improvements that are
focused primarily on maintaining or enhancing rail operations. These
improvements include track and bridge rehabilitation as well as enhanced access
improvements provided through switch, diamond, or connection improvements.
The following table identifies anticipated improvements and the priority presently
established for each proposed improvement.
TRACK REHABILITATION PROJECTS State Portion Total
1 Elk City to Sayre (Farmrail). $417,500 $835,000
2 Rehabilitate oortion of Midwest City Branch (SKOL). $300,000 $450,000
3 Class III Rehab, Sapulpa to Oklahoma City $1,000,000 $1,250,000
4 Reconstruct Weston Bridge at Thomas (Farmrail). $150,000 $300,000
5 SKOL / UP Crossing Diamond (SKOL) (Amtrak). $50,000 $125,000
6 WTJIBNSF Crossing Diamond (WTJ). $50,000 $125000
7 AOKIUP Crossing Diamond (AOK). $50,000 $125,000
8 Rework Harter Yard for p'assenger route (SKOL)(Amtrak)' $500 000 $1,000 000
9 Reconstruct Hydro Bridge (Farmrail). $1,000,000 $1,750,000
10 Riorao Deer Creek Hydro - Weatherford (Farmrail). $500,000 $500,000
11 Rehab Hydro - Weatherford (Farmrail). $200,000 $400,000
12 Bridge Repair Hydro - Bridgeport (AT&L). $10,151,500 $10 151,~
13 Riprap Hydro - Bridgeport (AT&L). $741,300 $741,300
14 Rehab Hydro - Bridg!'!P9rt (AT&L). $12,857,700 $12,857,700
15 Construct interchange track, El Reno (AT&L)(UP) $500,000 $1.000.000
Total Rehabilitation Expenditures c...~.... oJ 1J.oi.~.• J",,"VI. $28,468,000 $31.61O,5ti1i 23
Budgetary constraints obviously dictate the number and type of improvements that
will be conducted as funding becomes available. The total anticipated
expenditures associated with all of the improvements identified during the
prioritization procedures are outlined in the following table.
Port Intermodal Facilities
Oklahoma presently has two main ports served by the Kerr-McClellan
Navigational Channel that are served by rail and provide an alternative
transportation mode from the Gulf of Mexico to near Tulsa via the Mississippi and
Arkansas Rivers. The two rail served ports in the State of Oklahoma are the Port
of Muskogee and the Port of Catoosa. The potential for the expansion of
rail/seaport intermodal activities at these facilities will be highly dependant on the
enhancement of present rail access. Limited access at the Port of Muskogee and
a limited amount of track capacity at the Port of Catoosa have restricted the
development of intermodal freight transfer at both facilities. The combined total
investment in Oklahoma Port facilities is well over $1.5 Billion, which has created
over 5000 jobs at the over 80 facilities located on the 54 mile waterway, with a
total payroll of over $200 million per year.
Port of Muskogee
The Port of Muskogee presently ships an abundant amount of pipe, coiled steel,
petroleum coke, sand, and asphalt products via intermodal operations involving
rail freight transportation. The inbound shipments being offloaded from barges to
railcars presently include pipe, coiled steel, asphalt, and petroleum coke products.
Outbound shipments being loaded onto barges include pipe, coiled steel, sand
and petroleum coke products. Ground facilities at the Port include 10 industrial
facilities with 30 acres of improved outside storage facilities and over 94,000
square feet of indoor warehouse storage. The present transloading facilities that
are frequently utilized for rail intermodal freight transfers include two 450
ton/hour hopper systems used to feed conveyor systems for transloading bulk
materials. Present rail operations involve handling over 7000 cars/year, however
the Port is presently in the process of expanding their rail operations to facilitate
Unit Coal Trains for the Georgia Pacific plant. Other transloading infrastructure
that provides additional intermodal rail capacity not fully utilized during present
operations includes overhead cranes for trailer on flat car (TOFC), container on
flat car (COFC), or large material transloading, liquid transloading equipment,
several warehouse facilities, and approximately 9 miles of track for the storage,
switching, and transfer of materials transported via rail.
The Port of Muskogee Railroad (PMR)is presently served by the UP, although the
BNSF has service in relatively close proximity to the existing port facilities. The UP
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 24
and the BNSF share rail service opportunities in the Muskogee area with the BNSF
having trackage rights on the UP line between Tulsa and Muskogee. One of the
primary improvements presently being sought by the port is an extension of
existing port rail facilities to provide direct access to the BNSF. This would provide
a competitive shipping market for port tenants, which would enhance the
feasibility of the utilization of rail shipping to and from the port. With enhanced
rail access and the corresponding competitive rail shipping rates many of the
existing transloading facilities presently not being utilized to their full potential
would be more likely to have better utilization through rail related shipping
activities. The preliminary cost estimate for the development of direct access to the
BNSF from the port is approximately $2,000,000.
Port of Catoosa
The Port of Catoosa presently ships an abundant amount of steel products; pipe,
coiled steel, steel plates and structural steel as well as petroleum products, grain,
fertilizer, various liquid products, and asphalt products via intermodal operations
involving rail transportation. While most products are shipped via rail both
inbound and outbound through the Port, the bulk of individual material transfers
being shipped inbound or outbound are listed below. Inbound shipments being
offloaded from barges to railcars presently include steel products, petroleum
products, fertilizer, grain, and some hazardous materials including Chlorine.
Outbound shipments being loaded onto barges include petroleum products,
fertilizer, molasses, and hazardous materials. Port railroad equipment includes 2
locomotives and approximately 13 miles of track serving a grain elevator, dry bulk
facility, 4 docks equipped with liquid transfer facilities, and the majority of the
warehouses and outdoor storage facilities. One large travel crane and several
portable cranes facilitate rail car loading and unloading throughout the Port.
These facilities provide the capability for trailer on flat car (TOFC) or container on
flat car (COFC) transloading. Present rail operations involve handling over 7000
cars/year with most of the rail movements requiring railcars to be cut in a
marshalling yard operation to reduce the size of the individual trains distributed
for loading or unloading within the Port. The number of rail cars handled by the
Port has grown approximately 10% per year over the past few years resulting in an
increasing number of rail capacity issues. With competitive access to the UP via
the SKO and a direct BNSF connection, the primary issue of concern at the Port of
Catoosa is the increasing need for additional rail capacity for marshaling and
other storage or switching activities.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 25
TOTAL PROGRAM EXPENDITURES State Portion Total
Total Industrial Development Expenditures $1,350,000 $2,850,000
Total Track Rehabilitation Expenditures $28,468,000 $31,610,500
Total Expenditures $29,818,000 $34,460,500
Safety Program
Safety projects are coordinated through the ODOT Rail Programs Division for all
of the public highway/rail crossings on all of the rail routes within the State
regardless of legal jurisdiction (i.e., State, City, County, Township).
Present Oklahoma Rail Network
The general types of Safety Projects are segregated into three primary areas
including the signalization or upgrade of single locations identified utilizing a
prioritization ranking, improvements focused on maintaining statewide minimum
requirements, and corridor segment safety improvements focused on the
elimination or consolidation of existing crossing locations. Improvements
associated with highway construction projects or other types of improvements are
normally conducted separate from safety program efforts.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 26
A summary of the Incident statistics associated with the ODOT rail corridor safety
improvement program provides positive verification that safety improvements
completed by the ODOT Rail Programs Division
since the inception of the program have resulted
in significant reductions in highway/rail
intersection crashes. A large component of the
success of the overall program is believed to be
associated with the various programs developed
for the allocation of State, Federal, and Local
funding for rail safety improvements. The
primary programs include single location
improvements based on the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) Incident ranking, locations ranked based on geometric
criteria collected in recent crossing inventory updates, and corridor safety
improvements whereby all of the crossings in a common jurisdiction are upgraded
provided that a minimum of 25% of the crossing locations can be eliminated.
Oklahoma presently has one of the most detailed and up to date highway/rail
crossing inventories in the nation. Over the past 15 years the evolution of the
prioritization methods, the maintenance of an accurate grade crossing inventory,
and the development of sound procedures for crossing consolidation or
elimination have allowed the ODOT Rail Division to formulate what has resulted
into one of the most aggressive and successful programs in the nation. The
following statistics reveal the trends associated with crashes at highway/rail
intersections for the State of Oklahoma and illustrate the increased exposure
associated with increases in highway traffic volumes.
Railroad Crossing Collisions vs. Total Vehicle Mileage
350
300
250
200
U 150
100
50
0
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
o
Year
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 27
The corridor program developed by ODOT has received regional recognition at
the Federal level, being identified as one of the most aggressive and successful
programs in the nation. Over the past 10 years the majority of large metropolitan
areas and urban areas with populations in excess of 5000 citizens throughout the
State have been evaluated for railroad corridor safety improvements. Corridors
have been implemented in metropolitan areas, urban areas, cities, townships, and
counties throughout the State during the course of the program. The success of
this program has been a direct result of the amount of funding flexibility
intentionally included in the program to help gain consensus at the local level.
The State of Oklahoma presently does not have any legislative or judicial rulings
in place that facilitate the forced closure of a railroad grade crossing.
Consequently, all of the closures in the State of Oklahoma have been by
consensus. The corridor program is based on the Federal concept that the local
entity must consent to the closure of a minimum of 25% of the crossing locations
within their jurisdiction, to be eligible for Federal grade crossing safety funding to
update all of the remaining locations with signals, surfaces, and the appropriate
roadway access, regardless of the priority ranking of any of the crossings under
consideration.
Passenger Rail Activities
Amtrak/Heartland Flyer
March 19, 1998, marked the beginning of the return of rail passenger service to
Oklahoma. This reimplementation of service in Oklahoma became a reality after
$23 million of funding was secured for passenger rail service, through the Tax
Relief Act of 1997. The partnership between Amtrak and State officials was
initiated immediately with the formulation of an Oklahoma/Amtrak Project Team
and the inaugural train for the "Heartland Flyer Service" ran on June 14, 1999.
Individual community led efforts were initiated to modify five Oklahoma and one
Texas station/platforms with federal enhancement funding. Amtrak also
expressed an interest in expanding its national
passenger rail network in the south central
United States beyond Oklahoma City
reporting that the addition of a Tulsa to
Oklahoma City service would benefit its
overall operation as well as help revive rail
passenger service in this area. The results of
the initial passenger rail study conducted by
the Rail Programs Division verify these
observations.
OOOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 28
Expenditures $
19,706,333.31
The actual "Heartland Flyer" service has been initiated as "Phase 1 of planned
passenger rail services in the State of Oklahoma. The present service is daily,
leaving Oklahoma City at 8:25 a.m. and returning at 9:55 p.m. Station stops are
Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley, Ardmore, and Gainesville, Texas. Construction
work and modifications to five Oklahoma and one Texas stations/platforms were
completed between 2000 and 2003. The Oklahoma City station is located in the
former Santa Fe Depot and required more extensive modifications. All of the
station renovations utilized Federal enhancement funds in conjunction with local
matching funds.
Ridership of the Heartland Flyer has been consistently higher than expected.
Expenditures and revenues are available through December 2002. The
breakdown of regular service ending December 31, 2002, is as follows:
Ridership
211,413
Ticket Revenue $
4,341,689
Average monthly ridership is over 5000 for the initial 43 Months of service.
The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company has completed
improvements to their main line track and sidings in Oklahoma, that have allowed
train speeds to be increased to 60 mph in many areas, which has resulted in
better on-time performance of the Heartland Flyer service. Additional work on the
grade crossing signal circuit approaches is presently underway that would allow
passenger operating speeds to increase to 79 MPH. A tentative schedule for
completion of all of the necessary signal improvements is December of 2003. The
next anticipated enhancements would involve the upgrade of trackage and
signalization in the State of Texas.
Tulsa to Oklahoma City Commuter Route
The Oklahoma City to Tulsa route was evaluated in great detail for both
conventional passenger rail operations and High-Speed passenger rail operations,
which will be covered later in this report. The most desirable attributes of this
route for conventional passenger rail operations are the fact that the State actually
owns over eighty percent of the existing track between Tulsa and Oklahoma City
and that the distance between the two largest metropolitan areas in the State of
Oklahoma is only slightly over 100 miles. These attributes provide the opportunity
for a rail connection that could be competitive with other ground transportation
modes and extremely competitive air transportation modes.
Additional analysis focused on specific geometric improvements, including the
construction of a direct turn connection between the existing ODOT-owned Union
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 29
Pacific route and the BNSF mainline in Oklahoma City. The existing connection
between the ODOT Union Pacific route and BNSF mainline in Oklahoma City
requires a reverse train movement that requires just over six minutes to complete.
Other geometric improvements considered were the incremental improvement of
the most restrictive or "sharpest" curves along the route. The geometric analysis
indicates that there are 138 curves on the ODOT alignment between Oklahoma
City and Tulsa, which would presently require in a travel time of 2 hours and 39
minutes.
This analysis revealed that approximately 16 minutes of the travel time from
Oklahoma City to Tulsa could be reduced with improvements to 43 curves, or 31
percent of the total number of curves on the OOOT alignment (Phase One
improvements). Improvements to an additional 25 additional curves (Phase Two
improvements) would further enhance the travel time by approximately 13 minutes
using the existing alignment. The final analysis of the existing alignment indicated
that a travel time of 2 hours and 10 minutes could be achieved using conventional
equipment with the recommended improvements to 68 curves along the
alignment (Phase One and Two improvements). The total cost for these
improvements are anticipated to be approximately $108 million.
The actual run times for each proposed implementation phase will vary slightly
from the values listed in figure below because of potential changes in the number
of station stops or other operational distractions.
I Travel Time (mins)
Track Conditions Conventional Equipment
Existing GeometrY. 159
W/Phase One Improvements 146
W/F'hase Two ImQrovements 130
W/ldeal Operatinq Geometry 97
The fourth option in the figure above involved a more in-depth analysis of the
OOOT route between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. This option considered whether
actual realignment of the rail on certain portions of the route could facilitate faster
or higher levels of operation in the future. The "improved alignment" included the
construction of approximately 37 miles of new track at various locations
throughout the existing 119-mile alignment to reduce the number of curves and
facilitate incrementally higher operating speeds as the route is further developed.
The travel time calculated on the new alignment using conventional equipment
was reduced to an estimated 2 hours and 3 minutes at a cost of $110 million.
The travel could be further reduced by an additional 10 minutes with the
construction of a run-around track at the BNSF Cherokee Yard in Tulsa for an
estimated cost of approximately $10 million. A further reduction of six additional
30
minutes could be realized with the construction of a direction connection wye track
on the Oklahoma City end of the route at an estimated cost of between $5 and $7
million. An additional travel time reduction of approximately 20 minutes could be
realized on the new alignment if cab signaling was implemented to allow for
speeds in excess of 79 MPH. The travel time could be reduced to approximately 1
hour and 45 minutes with the track improvements mentioned above using
conventional equipment travel at 79 MPH or less for an estimated cost of
approximately $153 million. The travel time potentially possible with all of the
above mentioned improvements including the implementation of cab signaling
could be reduced to approximately and one hour and 30 minutes.
The most reasonable and cost effective implementation of service between Tulsa
and Oklahoma City would most likely involve incremental improvements designed
to establish the service as early as possible and progressively improve the service
to desired levels. An initial service between West Tulsa (Red Fork) and Oklahoma
City with a travel time of 2 hours and 39 minutes could be implemented in a
relatively short time frame with an infrastructure cost excluding any needed station
improvements expected not to exceed $12.5 Million. Additional equipment
expenses would be required to implement the service, the cost of which would vary
depending on the source of the service. The equipment costs would be expected
to be approximately $13 million if an operator who would provide the equipment
were not identified and the actual purchase of the equipment were necessary to
implement service. The initial service could be either a basic peak day or daily
service with one train set providing one run in each direction per day of operation.
The most logical construction improvement phasing would most likely be to first
implement the improvements on both ends of the route providing access to
downtown Tulsa and a smoother transition to and from the Santa Fe Depot in
Oklahoma City onto the OKC to Tulsa route. The enhanced access between the
BNSF and the UP in downtown OKC has also been discussed as one of the best
options for facilitating rail operations that will be eliminated or complicated by the
construction of the 1-40 Crosstown Expressway. Access to downtown Tulsa could
be provided through the BNSF Cherokee Yard for up to four train movements per
day under the current operating agreement, which was negotiated between
ODOT and the railroad in conjunction with the purchase of the state owned line
between Sapulpa and Oklahoma City. However, the construction of a run around
track without the speed restrictions imposed by yard operations would reduce the
travel time to downtown Tulsa by ten minutes and eliminate the present yard
restrictions. For the purposes of this report, any station improvements are
assumed to be coordinated at the local level, similar to the implementation
activities on the Heartland Flyer service between OKC and Ft. Worth, Texas.
31
A separate stage of development would focus on the implementation of the
communication improvements needed to ultimately facilitate maximum speed train
operations utilizing either CTC or cab signal control technology. These
improvements could be phased according to the amount of travel time reduction
anticipated along the segment(s) selected for a particular phase of construction
directed toward geometric improvements, in an attempt to maximum the overall
travel time reduction as efficiently and quickly as possible. A commitment for the
completion of the signal improvements proposed for the entire route would be
needed in order to realize the full benefit of the proposed new alignment
modifications. The phasing for the improvements may require some
rearrangement if a solid commitment for the completion of all of the realignment
improvements cannot be obtained. A summary of the travel times and anticipated
cost associated with each phase of development on the Tulsa to Oklahoma City
corridor is provided below.
Travel Time Comparisons for Tulsa to Oklahoma City
Travel Time Comparisons (minutes)
Canst. Signal Est. Time Reduction Est. Cost Total Cost
Phase Phase (minutes) (minutes) (millions) (millions)
Tulsa to Oklahoma City' 159 26 1
Tulsa to Oklahoma City" 1 143 16 26 52
Tulsa to Oklahoma City. ••• 2 1A 130 13 56 108 !
Tulsa to Oklahoma City···· 3 1B 114 16 35 143
Tulsa to Oklahoma City····· 2 103 11 10 153 j
/\ . Includes track resurfacing and control signal installation on BNSF to Perry. and one conventional train set.
• - Includes initial track resurfacing and the purchase of one conventional train set.
•• - Includes the completion of Construction Phase 1.
••• - Inlcudes the completion of Construction Phase 2 and Signal installation Phase 1A.
•••• - Includes the completion of Construction Phase 3 and Signal installation Phase 1B.
••••• - Includes the purchase of two additional train sets and the implementation of Cab Signal Control.
Oklahoma High Speed Passenger Rail Feasibility Study
The potential for expanded passenger rail service in the State of Oklahoma
indicates positive potential benefits for both short-term and longer-term
expansion. A connection to the North or East with the national passenger rail
network would provide additional mobility, potential for economic growth, and
long-term air quality benefits to the citizens of Oklahoma.
The expansion of the Heartland Flyer service between Oklahoma City and
Newton, Kansas to establish a connection to the national passenger system to the
north would be extremely beneficial to the continued success and expansion of the
present service. Another expansion option, recently discussed was the possibility
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 32
of rerouting the Southwest Chief through Perry, Enid and Amarillo, prior to
rejoining the existing route in Albuquerque. This would allow the extension of the
Heartland Flyer to be limited to the segment between Oklahoma City and Perry,
which is in predominately good condition with high potential for fast and efficient
passenger operations. The implementation of an expanded Heartland Flyer
service to either Newton or Perry could be accomplished using the present
equipment and without any additional equipment maintenance facilities. The
initial rail infrastructure costs for extending the Heartland Flyer service to Newton
excluding any station improvements is anticipated to be in the neighborhood of
five million dollars with 2.9 million dollars of track-related improvement in the
State of Oklahoma and 2.1 million dollars of track-related improvement in the
State of Kansas. The anticipated rail infrastructure cost to extend the Heartland
Flyer service to Perry is less than 1 million dollars. Extended service to the North in
Oklahoma would provide connections with the Southwest Chief Service from Los
Angeles to Chicago.
Longer-term goals for the expansion of the Heartland Flyer service include the
extension of service through the foothills of southern Colorado to Denver.
Expanding the Heartland Flyer service to Denver would require an additional train
consist and maintenance services in Denver to facilitate train operations between
Ft. Worth and Denver. The anticipated cost for expanding the Heartland Flyer
service on up to Denver from Newton are estimated to be an additional 37 million
dollars, 24 million of which would be needed in the State of Colorado, 1 million in
the State of Kansas, and 12 million for the additional train set. The anticipated
travel from Oklahoma City would be reduced from the present travel time by the
Southwest Chief via bus connection by over 7 hours traveling from Denver and just
under 3 hours traveling to Denver.
Other goals include the implementation of service between Tulsa and Oklahoma
City to establish the nucleus for the development of adding passenger rail service
between the two largest metropolitan areas in the State of Oklahoma.
Establishing and developing a commuter service between Tulsa and Oklahoma
City would foster the development of an additional connection to the national
passenger rail system east of
Oklahoma. From Tulsa, Kansas
City appears to be the most
desirable connection and could
potentially be implemented on
existing rail routes with only
standard improvements. St. Louis
is another possible connection
point to the east that is more
appealing to the State of Missouri;
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 33
however, the Tulsa to St. Louis connection would require more extensive
improvements for the implementation of desirable service. The success of any
eastern connection by rail from Tulsa would be highly dependent on the
development of an acceptable travel time and connection between Oklahoma City
and Tulsa.
High Speed Rail Initiative
A significant accomplishment of the original Oklahoma High Speed Passenger
Rail Feasibility Study was the completion of a successful application for
designation by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)and the U.S. Department
of Transportation (DOT) as a High Speed Rail Corridor from Ft. Worth to Tulsa.
The corridor from Ft. Worth to Tulsa via Oklahoma City was designated as a HSR
rail corridor by the USDOT on October 11, 2000, as a result of the State of
Oklahoma's rail planning efforts.
The primary route from Ft. Worth to Oklahoma City on the (BNSF) Red Rock
Subdivision is presently being modified to increase operating speeds up to 79
MPH from Oklahoma City to the Red River which is expected to reduce the present
travel time on the Heartland Flyer from Oklahoma City to Ft. Worth by
approximately 35 minutes. Preliminary travel time projections indicate that the
present total travel time of Four hours and 30 Minutes can be reduced to Three
hours and 30 minutes with similar improvements in Texas, which would be
extremely competitive with present automobile travel times under favorable
conditions.
The Oklahoma City to Tulsa segment would be an extremely important
component of passenger rail service throughout the designated South Central
High Speed Rail Corridors because of the potential for an eastern connection
linking the Midwest Regional Rail System to the designated South Central
corridors. A recent study conducted by the Kansas Department of Transportation
indicates that the Tulsa to Kansas City route has the second highest potential for
successful high-speed rail operations in the State of Kansas just behind a
proposed high-speed connection between Wichita and Kansas City. One
significant challenge for the development of the Oklahoma City to Tulsa corridor
will be to develop a service that would be faster or highly competitive with existing
automobile travel times on the Turner Turnpike. In order to be competitive with
existing travel time via automobile on the segment between Oklahoma City and
Tulsa, passenger rail operations in excess of 90 MPH would be required, which
prompted a more in depth High Speed route evaluation. The existing track
infrastructure would require a significant amount of realignment and upgrade in
order to be competitive with present automobile travel times on the Turner
Turnpike. The existing ODOT route is also utilized for freight operations by the
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 34
Stillwater Central Railroad Company and preliminary investigations have been
conducted to establish overnight intermodal transport operations between Tulsa
and Oklahoma City, which would significantly increase freight traffic on the route.
The present automobile travel time from Oklahoma City to Tulsa via the Turner
Turnpike is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes from city center to city center
under favorable conditions. Travel time forecasts for High Speed Rail indicate that
rail service could be established that would facilitate a travel time of just over an
hour between the two largest central business districts in the State of Oklahoma
and just under an hour and a half between Will Rogers World and Tulsa
International airports. This type of service would provide the connectivity needed
to establish feasible through rail service from Tulsa to the north or east as well as
provide the opportunity for more efficient daily employment commutes or business
and/or recreational travel between or from Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
The High-Speed Rail studies helped Oklahoma qualify to receive funding for aerial
mapping data collection. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), "FLI-Mapping"
funds have only been provided on a few select designated HSR
corridors in the nation and are presently one of the only sources of funding
currently available for High-Speed Rail development. The FLI-Mapping
information recently collected in Oklahoma will be crucial in the further
enhancement of the existing service between Ft. Worth and Oklahoma City as well
as establishing competitive service to Tulsa.
The proposed rail connection between Oklahoma City and Tulsa was developed
using two primary corridors with various alternative options on either end of the
core corridors for the final connections to Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma
City and to Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa. All of the corridors proposed
would facilitate an overall travel time between the central business districts of less
than 70 minutes and an overall travel time between the airports of less than 90
minutes when operated at speeds up to 150 MPH where possible. The schedules
shown below include provisions for a stop in Sapulpa for both route alternatives
with Route 135 allowing for an
additional stop near the Turner Turnpike
entrance in Edmond. Several variations
of these schedules were developed to be
incorporated into the economic benefit
analysis being conducted by the
Oklahoma Transportation Center,
including weekend and holiday
operations.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION
HSR Project Study Corridors
35
Proposed OKC/T ulsa High Speed Schedules
IRoute 235j
IWeekday Schedule (during normal school year) I
Train #1 Train #3 Train #5 Train #7 Train #9
WR arpt Depart 6:30 AM 9:30 AM 11:30 PM 6:00 PM 10:30 PM
OKe Arrive 6:40 AM 9:40 AM 11:40 PM 6:10 PM 10:40 PM
Sapulpa Arrive 7:31 AM 10:31 AM 12:31 AM 7:01 PM 11 :31 PM
Tulsa Arrive 7:46 AM 10:46 AM 12:46 AM 7:16 PM 11 :46 PM
Tullnt. Arrive 7:56 AM 10:56 AM 12:56 AM 7:26 PM 11 :56 PM
Train #2 Train #4 Train #6 Train #8 Train #10
Tullnt. Depart 6:30 AM 9:30 AM 11:30 AM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM
Tulsa Arrive 6:36 AM 9:36 AM 11:36 AM 6:06 PM 8:51 PM
Sapulpa Arrive 6:51 AM 9:51 AM 11:51 AM 6:21 PM 9:06 PM
OKe Arrive 7:42 AM 10:42 AM 12:42 PM 7:12 PM 9:57 PM
WR arpt Arrive 7:56 AM 10:56 AM 12:56 PM 7:26 PM 10:11 PM
Heartland Flyer Connections
The corridors evaluated were defined based on existing land development,
previous rail studies and the criteria previously established in the ODOT High
Speed Passenger Rail Feasibility Study. Bolded departure times represent
Heartland Flyer connections.
Weekday Summer Schedule
Train #1 Train #3 Train #5 Train #7 Train #9
WR Depart 6:50 AM 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 10:40 PM
OKe Arrive 7:00 AM 10:10 AM 4:10 PM 6:10 PM 10:50 PM
Edmond Arrive 7:14 AM 10:24 AM 4:24 PM 6:24 PM 11 :04 PM
Sapulpa Arrive 7:54 AM 11:04 AM 5:04 PM 7:04 PM 11 :44 PM
Tulsa Arrive 8:09 AM 11:19 AM 5:19 PM 7:19 PM 11 :59 PM
TI Arrive 8:19 AM 11:29 AM 5:29 PM 7:29 PM 12:09 AM
Train #2 Train #4 Train #6 Train #8 Train #10
TI Depart 6:50 AM 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 9:00 PM
Tulsa Arrive 6:56AM 10:06 AM 4:06 PM 6:06 PM 9:06 PM
Sapulpa Arrive 7:11 AM 10:21 AM 4:21 PM 6:21 PM 9:21 PM
Edmond Arrive 7:51 AM 11:01 AM 5:01 PM 7:01 PM 10:01 PM
OKe Arrive 8:05 AM 11:15 AM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 10:15 PM
WR Arrive 8:19 AM 11:29 AM 5:29 PM 7:29 PM 10:29 PM
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 36
FUTURE OF THE PROGRAM
The objectives of the ODOT Rail Programs Division remain the continued support
of safe and efficient rail operations throughout the State. Thanks to the foresight
of past gubernatorial and legislative efforts rail freight transportation remains a
vital component of the Oklahoma transportation network, providing alternative
transportation to multiple industries throughout the State and helping to minimize
the amount of damage to the highway infrastructure associated with freight
movements via truck. The positive impacts of rail freight transportation versus
conventional roadway freight transportation are commonly equated using
calculations based on projections that the average rail freight car transports an
amount of freight equivalent to four semi-truck loads. For every rail car
transported on either public or private rail infrastructure approximately four semi-truck
loads are diverted from the highway infrastructure for all or a portion of the
trip. With the continued degradation of an aging highway infrastructure, other
freight transportation alternatives are becoming increasingly important. Air quality
is also becoming an increasingly important issue in the metropolitan areas of
Oklahoma, as it has in many other major cities throughout the nation. While
Oklahoma presently does not have any non-compliance areas with regard to air
quality, our metropolitan areas have continued to inch closer to non-compliance
each year. Freight Rail transport has a significantly positive impact on air quality
by providing the more efficient movement of goods and services and a substantial
reduction in the number of diesel trucks utilized to transport goods throughout the
State.
With the continued evolution of the rail industry to more efficient operations the
existing programs will require continued upgrade in order to facilitate the ever-changing
railroad business environment. While many of the changes that may be
necessary to sustain efficient operations can be more readily determined,
responsible administrative policies are harder to identify prior to the
implementation of actual changes in operating practices or policies, one of the
primary goals of the Rail Programs Division will be to continue to maintain a
presence in regional and national
organizations for the compilation and
dissemination of important industry
related trends and information. One
primary issue to be addressed over
the next year will be the continued
development of a rail rehabilitation
loan program for the State of
Oklahoma.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 37
Administrative Changes
The 2002 Oklahoma State legislature adopted the "Railroad Rehabilitation Act"
under Senate Bill 1534, which created a new section of law, codified as Section
309.3 of Title 66 (66 O.S. Supp. 2002, See. 309.3). This new section provides the
authorization to ODOT for the development of railroad loan program that would
make funding from the Railroad Revolving Maintenance Fund available to rail
operators throughout the State for the rehabilitation of existing rail infrastructure.
The application format has been approved and the applications have been
distributed to potentially eligible operators throughout the State. The loans will be
limited to a total of $5 million annually and will be funded directly from the
Railroad Maintenance Revolving Fund with the total amount of the loans limited to
no more than 50% of the total amount of the RMRFat any point in time. The
anticipated improvements resulting from the loan program include the continued
improvement of the existing infrastructure to facilitate the heavier carloads
prevalent throughout the rail industry. Modern operating trends have resulted in a
significant number of two hundred and eighty-six thousand pound (286K)
carloads being utilized in Class One and Class Three operations. To further
complicate rail freight operations, modern trends have evolved into the increased
use of rail cars capable of facilitating loads up to 315K. We anticipate that the
majority of loans will be to short line operators, with most of the available funding
utilized to upgrade existing routes to sufficiently facilitate increased loads.
Since the adoption of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)
in 1991, funding for local freight rail improvements has been limited to private
and State funding sources. The provisions set forth in ISTEAeliminated the Local
Rail Freight Assistance Program (LRFA)from which Oklahoma freight railroads
were fortunate to obtain a substantial amount of funding, primarily because of the
strong rail programs administered by ODOT. The loss of the LRFAsignificantly
impacted long term maintenance and construction efforts implemented by
Shortline operators throughout the State.
Oklahoma Short Line Operators
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 38
Administrative Challenges
The loan program initiated by the Railroad Rehabilitation Act requires the OOOT
Rail Programs Division to develop a plan for the loan program that includes
provisions for the development of the terms and the approval processes for the
proposed loans, the development of any necessary rules or specific limitations for
the use of the funds acquired through the loan processes, as well as the
mechanisms by which the loans will be distributed. One of the significant
challenges associated with this new program will be the fair and equal distribution
of the loans, and the development of sufficient guidelines for administering the
program. Guidelines will be required to assess recipient qualifications, develop
the distribution methods, develop methods for monitoring the progress of the
associated improvements, and to develop methods for ensuring the timely
reimbursement of any loaned funds. While a few other States have developed this
type of program, the unique operating arrangements utilized on State-owned
properties in the State of Oklahoma will demand careful consideration during the
adoption of any guidelines or policies developed to administer the loans. An
emergency Transportation Commission Rule (Title 730, Sec. 40, Chapter 3) has
been filed with the Secretary of State through the Office of Administrative Rules,
which has allowed the loan program to be initiated. The emergency rule extends
through July 2003 and the paperwork to file a permanent rule for the loan
program is on schedule to be finalized by the end of April 2003.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 39
JUL 19 2011

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T 1300.3 R152a 2002 c.1 A Report Submitted to
The Honorable Brad Henry
Governor of Oklahoma
Secretary of Transportation
Phil Tomlinson
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
History
Program Description
Objectives of the Program
Legislative Authority
Funding History
Program Accomplishments
Acquisitions of Railroads
Status of State Owned Rail Properties
Revenue return to the State
Proposed Projects
Port Intermodal Facilities
Safety Program
Passenger Rail Activities
Amtrak/Heartland Flyer
Original Passenger Rail Study
Tulsa to Oklahoma City Commuter Route
High Speed Rail Initiative
HSR Project Study Corridors
Future of the Program
Administrative Changes
Administrative Challenges
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 1
Executive Summary
The 1978 Oklahoma State legislature created the "Railroad Revitalization
Act" under House Bill 1623. This foresight by the Governor and the
Legislature was the primary influence in the preservation of the freight rail
infrastructure the State of Oklahoma has today. This bill provided specific
powers and duties for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation in
dealing with the multitude of rail issues facing the State of Oklahoma.
Under this bill the Department was authorized and empowered to acquire,
construct, repair, operate and maintain railroad rights-of-way and trackage
on feasible and economically sound routes; to participate in all matters
related to rail ownership including operating, agreements, the securing of
state or federal grants; and to make and enter all contracts as it may deem
necessary and proper for carrying out the provisions of this act.
Through an initial legislative appropriation of $22 million, the Department
aggressively pursued the purchase of recently abandoned rail lines of the
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas
Railroad companies. Since these initial rail purchases of approximately
475 miles of track in 1981 and 1982, the Department has nearly doubled
that mileage and successfully leased 94% of the present operations to
Class I and Class III operators through the foresight of the original
legislative efforts. The contributions of these forward thinking legislative
and gubernatorial participants, initiated the preservation and restoration of
rail service to shippers and customers, while contributing to the
Oklahoma's overall economic development. Many communities and
industries who previously relied on rail support and were in jeopardy of
losing rail as a transportation alternative, continue to utilized rail service on
the routes preserved through the various purchases facilitated by this
legislation. Many areas have also experienced economic growth that can
be directly attributed to the availability of rail as a freight transportation
alternative.
The Department's primary rail interest through 1998 had been the
purchase and redevelopment of rail freight lines, however, the first
regularly scheduled passenger train service returned to Oklahoma in 1999
after an absence of nearly twenty years. Amtrak, partnering with the
Department, developed a daily round trip passenger service between
Oklahoma City and Ft. Worth, Texas. Additional station stops are Norman,
Purcell, Pauls Valley, Ardmore, and Gainesville, Texas. Total ridership
numbers have for exceeded expectations with ongoing efforts are under
way to incrementally reduce the present travel time between Oklahoma City
and Ft. Worth. Preliminary travel time projections indicate that the present
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAM5 DIVISION •• 2
total travel time of Four hours and 30 Minutes can be reduced by
approximately 35 minutes with the grade crossing signal improvements
presently programmed in the State of Oklahoma. The State of Texas is
considering implementing similar improvements, which are anticipated to
reduce the travel time by an additional 25 minutes resulting in a total travel
time of Three hours and 30 minutes. This projected travel time would be
extremely competitive with present automobile travel times under favorable
conditions.
A private consulting firm finalized the original High Speed Passenger Rail
Feasibility Study in March of 2001, which included an evaluation of the
existing routes for passenger rail service. The original study underscored
the importance of an additional passenger rail connection between
Oklahoma City and Tulsa to facilitate the ridership and connectivity
necessary to develop a feasible passenger rail system in the State of
Oklahoma and throughout the remainder of the region. A significant
accomplishment of the original rail feasibility study was the completion of a
successful application for designation by the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) and the United States Department of Transportation
(DOT) as a High Speed Rail Corridor from Ft. Worth to Tulsa in October of
2000, including the existing Heartland Flyer Route between Oklahoma City
and Ft. Worth. A rail passenger system across Oklahoma with ties to major
cities in the north and south has the potential to greatly enhance growth
and help ease increasingly common highway congestion problems.
Additional rail planning efforts in the State of Oklahoma have been
focused on the development of potential new High Speed Rail (HSR) routes
between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The completion of the Oklahoma High
Speed Rail Initiative report resulted in a FLI-Mapping grant from the FRA
administered by the Volpe Center through the Army Corp of Engineers to
provide detail survey data that will be necessary to further assess the
proposed high speed rail alignment alternatives between Oklahoma City
and Tulsa. The detailed mapping obtained from this project will provide
the data necessary for the final preliminary planning efforts, the associated
environmental efforts, and serve as the official mapping for the
development of the final design for the preferred alignment alternative.
The Department's Rail Programs Division continues to fulfill its obligations
as originally set forth in the 1978 bill striving for a progressive and
balanced transportation system through the State of Oklahoma. The
elimination of the Local Rail Freight Assistance, (49 USC Chapter 221, Sec.
22101) program in conjunction with the adoption of the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) in 1991 has significantly impacted the
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVSION 3
amount of federal & state funding available for rail maintenance or
infrastructure improvements. A new State loan program has recently been
developed through the Railroad Rehabilitation Act (66 O.S. Supp. 2002,
See. 309.3) that could potentially help offset the impacts associated with the
loss of the LFRAprogram. The Railroad Rehabilitation Act requires the
ODOT Rail Programs Division to develop a plan for the loan program that
includes provisions for the development of the terms and the approval
processes for the proposed loans, the development of any necessary rules
or specific limitations for the use of the funds acquired through the loan
processes, as well as the mechanisms by which the loans will be distributed.
Some of the significant challenges associated with this new program will be
the fair and equal distribution of the loans, and the development of
sufficient guidelines for administering the program. An emergency
Transportation Commission Rule (Title 730, Sec. 40, Chapter 3) has been
filed with the Secretary of State through the Office of Administrative Rules,
which has allowed the loan program to be initiated. The emergency rule
extends through July 2003 and the paperwork to file a permanent rule for
the loan program is on schedule to be completed by the end of April 2003.
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 4
History
Rail transportation in the State of Oklahoma was implemented by the Missouri
Kansas Texas (Katy) Railroad on June 6, 1870. Railroad construction had not
been allowed in "Indian Territory" until after treaties with the Five Civilized Tribes;
the Cherokees, Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws, and Chickasaws, had been
renegotiated at the end of the Civil War in 1865. Under the new agreements, the
Five Nations were required to allow one east/west and one north/south railroad
route to be constructed across Indian Territory. The Katy was the first to make
application with Congress to cross Indian Territory and laid the first rail in the
State of Oklahoma beginning at the State line north of Russell, Oklahoma,
continuing into Vinita on a line currently operated by the Union Pacific Railroad.
The next railroad to enter the State was the Eastern Division of the Atlantic and
Pacific Railroad (A&P), which later became a component of the Frisco System, and
is presently a component of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway
Company. The A&P reached Vinita on September 1, 1871 where operations were
suspended on both railroads until after 1881 when the A&P continued construction
into Tulsa crossing the Arkansas River in 1886 and finishing the route into
Oklahoma City in 1898. The transportation opportunities provided via rail
infrastructure initiated the more rapid growth of two communities that would
evolve into the two largest economic centers in present day Oklahoma. The
following graphic depicts railroads constructed or planned for construction in
"Indian Territory" prior to 1875.
Indian Territory
Railroad construction continued at a blistering pace in the State of Oklahoma until
the late 1940's or early 1950's with over 6500 miles of railroad construction
recorded by the State.
OOOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 5
Program Description
The following information provides an overview of rail program objectives, the
legislation initiating State Rail Programs, and a Summary of Funding sources to
date.
Objectives of the Program
One of the foremost objectives of the Oklahoma's Rail Programs Division has
been the support of alternative transportation modes for freight transportation
throughout the State. With the onslaught of railroad abandonment in the late
1970's and early 1980's it became apparent that a valuable component of the
State's transportation network would be significantly altered if an initiative to
maintain the existing rail infrastructure were not developed. The failure of the
Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad in the late 1970's had the potential to
significantly impact several industries within the State who were highly dependant
on rail transportation. The foresight of the governors office and the legislature
facilitated the development of specific legislature to preserve freight rail
transportation alternatives in various regions of the State. The legislation adopted
by the State of Oklahoma enabled ODOT to purchase rail routes critical to many
industries that were in jeopardy of being abandoned. The objective of the State
was to acquire the critical routes and facilitate the operation of those routes by
independent short line or Class One railroad operators. The impact of this
legislation significantly altered what remains as the present day rail infrastructure
in the State of Oklahoma.
Present Rail Infrastructure
Legislative Authority
In 1978 the Oklahoma Railroad Revitalization Act (66 O.S. Supp. 1978, See.
302.1 et.seq.) was instituted under House Bill Number 1623. This Act enabled
OOOT to acquire and maintain railroad rights-ot-way, enter into operating
OOOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 6
agreements, and to administer funding allocated from public and private sources
that would be necessary to assist short line or Class One operators maintain
operations on State acquired rail properties. Section 309 of the Act established
the Railroad Maintenance Revolving Fund (66 O.S. Supp. 1978, See. 309).
Funding History
The Railroad Maintenance Revolving Fund was to be administered by the State
Treasurer's Office with the funding being utilized by OOOT to implement the
Railroad Revitalization Act. The primary funding source for the Railroad
Maintenance Revolving Fund is the Oklahoma Freight Car Tax (68 O.S. See. 2201
et. seq.), which imposes a tax equivalent to 4 percent of the gross earnings of a
freight car operating within the State. This fund generates approximately
$800,000 annually. Under the provisions of the Revitalization Act, $12,000,000
was appropriated from the General Revenue Fund of the State Treasury, in the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1980. with an additional $10,000,000 appropriated
in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1981. This original $22,000,000 investment
was primarily utilized to purchase rights-of-way in danger of being abandoned
after the failure of the
Chicago, Rock Island, &
Pacific Railroad in the
late 1970's. Illustrated
here in red.
State funds generated from the Railroad Maintenance Revolving Fund have been
utilized for various purchases and maintenance items over the past 20 years.
Below is a list of expenditures from State funding sources, including any funds
used to match Federal funding allocations.
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 7
State Funds - Rehabilitation Materials/Projects
Altus-Devol (20% Match for 1980 FRA Grant) $148070.00
Altus-Devol (20% Match for 1981 FRA Grant) $757,178.00
Hydro-Elk City (30% Match for 1982 FRA Grant) $575,214.00
Materials for OKT Properties - 1983 $500,000.00
Materials for Altus-Devol $355000.00
Materials for Hydro-Erick $136,677.00
Materials for McAlester - Howe $145,000.00
Board of Claims Award - Altus-Devol $1,280,602.00
Materials for AT&L $52734.00
Materials for Farmrail $228,175.00
Walters To Waurika $819,732.9~
Materials for WTS $1,899,144.90
Emergency Flood Repairs- WTJ* $1055999.71
Railroad Signal Projects - Farmrail $525,334.95
Crossing Surfaces-Frederick -WTJ $54,765.61
Geary Signal Project-AT&L $28,501.26
BNSF Signal Project $26,000.00
Materials for State Properties $365,978.70
State Property Computer Mapping $39,420.00
Improvements at 3 Bridges $355,000.00
Corridor & Signal Iml'rovements $412,000.00
Right of Way Improvements $9,250.00
Total Expenditures $9,769,778.18
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 8
Federal funding allocations have been used to maintain Oklahoma railroad
operations to the extent possible through various programs, which often require
matching funds. The Railroad Revolving Maintenance Fund has allowed OOOT to
acquire Federal funds that would not have been available had the matching funds
not been provided at the State level. The following table lists the various Federal
funding allocations used for maintaining rail operations on Oklahoma's State-owned
rights-of-way including the percentage of the matching funds required and
by whom the match was provided.
Federal Funding Grants and Matching Funds
FiscalYear Grant Local Match Ratio By
1980 $1,241,078 $310,270 80/20 State
1981 $3,028,710 $757,178 80/20 State
1982 $1,342,165 $575,214 70/30 State
1983/84 $1,612,813 $691,206 70/30 OKTRR
1985 $526,989 $225,852 70/30 OKTRR
1986 $712,414 $305,320 70/30 OKTRR
1988 $50,000 $21,483 70/30 Farmrail
1989 $48,000 $20,571 70/30 Farmrail
1990 $35,892 $15,382 70/30 Farmrail
1992 $36,000 $15,429 . 70/30 Farmrail
1993 $41,200 $17,658 70/30 Farmrail
1993-1** $300,000 $128,572 70/30 Farmrai1
1994 $36,000 $15,429 70/30 Farmrail
1994-1 ** $400,000 $218,000 70/30 Farmrail
1995 $36,000 $15,429 70/30 Farmrail
1995-1** $170,100 $72,900 70/30 Farmrail
1998 $736,091 $963,909 45155 State
TOTAL $10,353,452 $4,369,8021
GRAND TOTAL: $14,671,8251
*$310,270.00 = $162,200.00 Acquisition
= $148,070.00 Rehabilitation
Altus-Devol
** Represents Discretionary Fund
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION •• 9
Program Accomplishments
This section outlines the progress or milestones obtained by Oklahoma's Rail
Program initiatives over the past two decades. The comparison between the
routes abandoned since 1978 and the routes purchased by the State through the
provisions of the Railroad Revitalization Act, illustrate the impact of Oklahoma's
Rail Programs on the transportation network presently available throughout the
State. Since the peak of rail operations in Oklahoma during the mid to late
1940's over 2800 miles of rail have been abandoned. In an effort to reduce the
number of abandonments after the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad
declared bankruptcy in 1978 and sought ways to downsize operations throughout
the State, the State of Oklahoma became one of the first States to participate in
the purchase of rail infrastructure and the coordination of third party rail
operations, again illustrating the forward thinking and innovative transportation
solutions generated by the legislation that initiated Oklahoma's present freight rail
program. The Oklahoma program has served for years as a model by which a
majority of other States have based components of their existing rail programs
involving State ownership. Short Line operators have become a very important
component of the present rail infrastructure throughout the nation. Lower
overhead rates, non-union labor, and governmental funding assistance have
allowed routes that could not sustain self sufficient operations as a Class One
operation, to remain in operation providing an alternative transportation mode for
a growing number of rail customers. The overall impact of the downsizing of rail
infrastructure throughout the United States has been minimized in Oklahoma
because of the unprecedented legislative provisions formulated in the original
"Railroad Revitalization Act". The routes illustrated in red below are those which
have been abandoned since 1978, the total of which is approximately 1240 miles.
Rail Routes Abandoned Since 1978
10
Further abandonment would have been inevitable if the Railroad Revitalization Act
had not been implemented in 1978. The following graphic denotes the State
owned rail routes, all of which were subject to abandonment prior to being
purchased by the State.
State Owned Rail Infrastructure
The following table depicts the status of the rail infrastructure in both 1978 and
2002 illustrating the impact that State Owned properties have on both present day
operations and how the amount of mileage abandoned has been significantly
reduced through State involvement.
Mileage
Total Active in 2002 3743
Class One Operators 68% 2535
Shortline Operators (Class III) 32% 1208
Routes Purchased by the State 24% 882
State Rail Infrastructure Statistics
Mileage
Total Active in 1978 4991
Abandoned 25% 1248
Routes Purchased by the State 18% 882
Oklahoma is fortunate in that the State-Owned rail
infrastructure, which constitutes approximately 24% of
the routes that are presently in service, was preserved
through an aggressive, innovative, and forward
thinking piece of legislature that few other States have
been fortunate enough to adopt. The amount of rail
infrastructure preserved through the Railroad
Revitalization Act constitutes approximately 18% of the
ODOT
RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 11
miles originally in service in 1978. The schedule of acquisition and the associated
cost of the individual routes are depicted in the following table.
Property Acquisitions
Location Length Cost
Hydro-Elk City 62.40 miles $3,100,000
Altus-Devol" 61.02 miles $162,200
OKT Properties 350.93 miles $15,000,000
E1Reno-Hydro 37.60 miles $1,700,000
Elk City-Erick 27.05 miles $324,000
McAlester- Howe 69.60 miles $2,778,406
Thomas-Elmer 89.32 miles $1,195,965
OKC- Tinker Line 5.00 miles $350,000
Blackwell- KS State line 17.00 miles $460,000
OKC-Sapulpa 97.50 miles $5,950,000
Stillwater - Pawnee 22.21 miles $600,000
Guthrie - Fairmont 42.80 miles $2,600,000
Total Acquisition 882.43 miles $34,220,571
Current Total Miles ** 866.93 miles I
Pending I
Shawnee- McAlester 83.94 miles $ 3,200,000 (Est)
In November 1981 the Department acquired 62.4 miles of former Chicago, Rock
Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P) between Hydro and Elk City for $3,100,000.
These properties are leased to the Farmrail Corporation (FMRC) under a long-term
lease and operating agreement. The
segment from Weatherford to Hydro is not
being operated at this time primarily due
to lack of rail traffic and several track
washouts that occurred west of Hydro in
the fall of 1987.
Status of State Owned Rail Properties
As a result of the Oklahoma Railroad Revitalization Act in 1978, the Department
received $12,000,000 in Fiscal Year 1980 and $10,000,000 Fiscal Year 1981 for
a total initial appropriation of $22,000,000. The sequence of acquisitions were
as follows:
ODOT RAIL LT PROGRAMS DIVISION 12
In June 1982 the Department acquired 61.02 miles of abandoned Missouri-
Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT) between Altus and
the Oklahoma/T exas state line south of Devol in
Cotton County for $811,000. This was a joint
Federal-State purchase with 80% funding
provided through Federal grant monies. These
properties initially were operated and managed
by the MKT Railroad under a long-term lease and
operating agreement. In November 1988, the
MKT Railroad was acquired by the Union Pacific
Railroad Corporation and the operating
agreement was assigned to the Union Pacific (UP) Railroad as the MKT's
successor. In January 1991, by mutual agreement, the lease and operating
agreement between the Department and the UP terminated. Concurrent with
termination of that agreement, a long-term lease and operating agreement
between the Department and the Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway Company
(WTJ) was executed. The WTJ was a new shortline railroad company formed for
the express purpose of operating and I -- -- - --
managing these properties and a short
segment of the Oklahoma, Kansas and
Texas Railway Company properties
between Waurika and Walters.
In October 1982 the Department acquired
350.93 miles of former CRI&P Railroad for $15,000,000. These properties
generally are referred to as the OKT Properties and encompass the former Rock
Island north-south mainline from the Kansas state line south through Enid, EI
Reno, Chickasha, Duncan, and Waurika to the Texas state line; the east-west
mainline between EI Reno and
Oklahoma City, and the branch line
loop from Chickasha to Anadarko,
Lawton, and Waurika where it rejoined
the north-south mainline. These
properties initially were operated and
managed under a long-term lease-purchase
and operating agreement by
the Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas
(OKT) Railroad Company, a subsidiary of the MKT.
In December 1987, a 15.5-mile segment of the OKT properties between Lawton
and Walters (a component of the Lawton branch line) was abandoned and the
material salvaged, effectively reducing the OKT properties from 350.93 miles to
335.43 miles.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 13
In July 1983 the Department acquired 37.6 miles between EI Reno and Hydro
from the former CRI&P Railroad for $1,700,000. The segment of these properties
from EI Reno to Geary (approximately 20 miles) is
operated and managed by the Austin, Todd and
Ladd (AT&L) Railroad Company under a long-term
lease-purchase agreement. The AT&L
Railroad is owned by Wheeler Brothers Grain
Company, headquartered in Watonga, who had
purchased the former CRI&P Railroad between
Geary and Watonga (approximately 17 miles)
and presently operate the two segments as a unit.
In November 1988, MKT/OKT Railroad Companies were acquired by the Union
Pacific Railroad Corporation and the lease/purchase and operating agreement
assigned to Union Pacific (UP) Railroad for the continued operation and
management of OKT properties, as the successor to the MKT/OKT. The properties
are operated and managed as a component of the UP system.
In January 1991, the Department agreed to allow UP to sublease the operation
and management of the 23.9-mile Waurika to Walters branch line, a component
of the original OKT properties, to the
Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway
Company. This sublease did not relieve
UP Railroad of any obligations or
responsibilities contained in the OKT lease
purchase and operating agreement.
On May 14, 1986, an operating agreement with a one-year term was executed
between the Department and the AT&L for the operation of the contiguous 9.5-
mile segment between Geary and Bridgeport, which expanded the AT&L's
operation on state rail property to 29.5 miles, and AT&L's total service area
(including their own 17 miles between Geary and Watonga) to 46.5 miles. On
May 22, 1987, an operating agreement was executed between the Department
and AT&L for the continued operation of this 9.5-mile segment of the track. AT&L
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 14
and the Department have since extended the term limits of the operating
agreement.
A 12-mile segment of the route from Bridgeport to 3.5 miles west of Hydro is not
leased or operated because of current bridge problems. This is one segment of
the 866.93 miles of state-owned rail properties that is currently not leased for
operations. Engineering rehabilitation of the bridges on this route have been
postponed pending additional engineering evaluation.
In May 1985 the Department acquired 27.05 miles between Elk City and Erick, for
$324,000. Form roil Corporation is operating these properties under a long-term lease
agreement. The rail between Erick and the
Texas state line (approximately 7 miles) has
been abandoned and removed.
In February 1986 the Department acquired 69.6 miles between McAlester and
Howe for a total of $2,778,406. These properties were initially operated by the
MKT Railroad under a long-term lease and operating agreement, which allowed
the operator the option to purchase the property at any time during the lease
term. In November 1988, Union Pacific Railroad Corporation assumed the lease
and operating agreement when UP acquired the MKT Railroad Company. UP
operated this line segment until February 1996, when the lease and operating
agreement were reassigned to a new shortline operator, the Arkansas-Oklahoma
Railroad Company. The AOK Railroad Company operated the line under UP's
authority until June 1998. Currently, the
AOK has met all contractual obligations with
UP, and has been fully assigned as MKT's
successor to the original 1986 agreement.
The rail between Howe and the Arkansas
state line (approximately 11.1 miles) has
been abandoned and removed.
In December 1992 the Department acquired 89.32 miles of the Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe Railway's "Orient" Line between Thomas and Elmer for $1,195,965.
These properties are operated by the Farmrail Corporation under a long-term
lease agreement.
In June 1994 the Department acquired 76.21 miles of abandoned railroad right-of-
way (no rail) between Thomas and Cherokee, for $440,000. The Department
salvaged bridge materials along the line, and the right-of-way was then sold to
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 15
adjoining landowners and municipalities. The Department obtained a net income
of $8,875 from these properties.
In May 1995 the Department acquired five miles from eastern Oklahoma City
limits to Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City for $350,000. These properties
often referred to as the "Tinker Line," are operated under a long-term track lease
and operating agreement with the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad
Company (SKO). This agreement was signed December 1995; however, actual
operation was not initiated immediately because the Burlington Northern and
Santa Fe Railroad had removed a crossing diamond across their track, which
prohibited access to the Midwest City line. In December 1998 the Department
hired a private contractor to install a wye connection to reconnect the Midwest City
line providing the SKO access to Midwest City.
In September 1997 the Department acquired 17 miles from Blackwell, north to the
Kansas state line for $460,000. This purchase is part of a joint effort with the
Blackwell Industrial Authority, whom purchased a
17-mile portion of the same rail line from the
Kansas state line to Wellington, Kansas. The
"Blackwell Line" was originally owned and
operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
Railway Company. The properties from Blackwell,
to Wellington, Kansas, were originally operated for
the Department, under a long-term track lease and
operating agreement by South Kansas and
Oklahoma Railroad Company. The most current operating agreement was
completed on October 17, 2000 with the Blackwell and Northern Railroad
Company, Inc. under a five year term
operating and lease agreement.
In February 1998 the Department acquired two rail lines from the Burlington
Northern Santa Fe Railroad Company. The first line extends 22.21 miles from
Stillwater in Payne County, to Pawnee in Pawnee County. The second line extends
from Oklahoma City to Sapulpa in Creek
County for a distance of 97.5 miles. After an
advertised search for an operator, the
Department selected Stillwater Central Railroad
Company to manage and operate both rail
lines. The purchase price for both segments
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 16
was $6,550,000, the funding for which came from the Rail Revolving Maintenance
Fund.
In October 1998 the Department acquired 42.8 miles of track from the Burlington
Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad Company for $2,600,000. The line extends
from Guthrie in Logan County, to Fairmont in Garfield County and connects to the
BNSF mainline in Guthrie. The City of Guthrie had originally been given a two-year
time frame, which began January 1, 1999, to secure an operator. The
original agreement indicated that if an operator could not be established during
the specified timeframe, the state would salvage
the line and recover the original investment. A
one year time extension was granted to the City
in both 2001 and 2002 to allow them some
additional time to secure an operator. As of the
date of this report, an operator has not been
secured and active rail freight service has not
been re-initiated on this route.
Revenue Return to the State
As of December 31, 2002, Oklahoma owns 866.93 miles of mainline and
branchline railroad, of which 814.90 miles (94%) are leased for operation and
management to seven different railroad companies as nine separate operations.
The State has entered into a long-term lease or lease/purchase and operating
agreement with each of the seven operators, tailored to the specific characteristics
of each individual operation. Each operating agreement was developed around
the basic premise of providing rail freight service to areas of rural Oklahoma
where service had been lost or was on the verge of being lost, and no private
corporation was willing to invest the capital necessary to reinstate or preserve rail
service. Another basic premise of each agreement is that the operation will be
self-supporting; the State will pay no operating subsidy to any operator. The State
may, nevertheless, choose to assist operators with extraordinary rehabilitation or
repair costs through the purchase of materials for installation by the operator at
the operator's expense. Generally, the State becomes involved only when such
cost would represent an undue burden to one of its operators. The Department
may also choose to participate jointly with the operator on projects that would
significantly improve safety or service. The operation or sale of the most recent
42.8-mile purchase, Guthrie to Fairmont, is presently being negotiated.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 17
i
i
i
i
i
i
State Owned Rail Routes
Each of the nine separate operations return lease revenues to the State to help
perpetuate a continuing rail program. To date we have received the following
returns:
Farmrail Corporation (FMRC) Sunbelt Line
Presently operates the 79-mile segment between Hydro and Erick, and during the
period from November 1981 through December 2002, has returned
$1, 14~,323.35 to the State from its ~ -:
operation. --
Farmrail Corporation (FMRC) Orient Line
Presently operates the 89.32-mile segment between Thomas and Elmer, and
during the period from December 1992 through December 2002, has returned
$449,~93.27 to the State from its ~ - __ .
operation. ~
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 18
The Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP)
Presently operates 335.43 miles (the north-south
mainline through Enid, EI Reno, Duncan,
and Waurika; the Lawton loop, and the east-west
piece between EI Reno and Oklahoma
City) under a thirty-year lease/purchase
agreement. During the period from January
1983 through December 2002,
$21,561,622.89 has been to the State. The
terms of the UP lease/purchase agreement are
such that the annual payment increased to
$600,000 in November 1987, increased to $1,200,000 in November 1992; to
$1,500,000 in November 1997; and to $1,800,000 in November 2002, with the
final $1,800,000 payment due in November
2011 . Total payments for the term of the agreement are $35,000,000. These annual
payments will continue to be augmented by a
share of the income generated by UP's leasing
and sales activities.
The Wichita, Tillman & Jackson Railroad Company (WT&J)
Presently operates the 61.02 mile line-segment from the Texas/Oklahoma state
line south of Devol in Cotton County, northwest to Altus, and subleases the 23.9
mile segment of OKT properties from Waurika to Walters from the UP under a
long-term lease and operating agreement which became effective January 14,
1991. From August 1982 through January 13, 1991, this property was operated
by the MKT followed by the UP as MKT's
successor. During that period this
operation returned $205A66 to the State.
The WTJ Railroad Company has operated
this line for ten years, January 1991
through December 2002, and has
returned $261 A46 to the State.
The AT&L (AT&L)
Presently operates the 20-mile segment between EI Reno and Geary under a long-term
lease/purchase and operating ~Z
agreement. For the period from May 1985~ - 1 .
through December 2002, AT&L has returned
$567,325.40 to the State from this operation.
For the period between May 1985 and May
1989, AT&L's annual payment was $25,000;
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 19
this payment increased to $30,000 in May 1990; increased to $35,000 in May
1995; and is scheduled to increase to $37,000 in May 2005, with the final
$37,000 payment due in May 2014. Total payments for the term of the
agreement will be $995,000.
In addition to the above property, the AT&L Railroad operates an additional
9.5 miles between Geary and Bridgeport under a five-year lease. This agreement
is structured to allow for the minimal rental charges to be applied to improvement
of the track infrastructure.
The Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad (AOK)
Presently operates the 69.6-mile segment between McAlester and Howe, under a
long-term lease and operating agreement, [J(:Z
which began February 1996. To date the AOK
has returned $101,905.93 to the State from
their operation. Prior to the AOK, the UP
operated this line from February 1986 through
January 1996, returning $402,100.00 to the
State.
South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (SKO)
Operates the Midwest City line under a Track Lease and Operating Agreement,
which began December 1995. However, they were not physically able to operate
this line because the tracks crossing the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway
were removed prior to the purchase by the
State. In December 1998, the State :
completed the necessary rail work, which now
allows for full operation of the line, however,
no specific market had been developed as of
December 2002.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 20
Blackwell and Northern Railroad (B&NR)
Operates under a Track Lease and Operating
Agreement on the Blackwell Line and began providing
rail freight service in October 2002. The SKO operated
the line prior to the B&NR and returned $16,413.12 to
the State.
Stillwater Central Railroad (SLWC)
Operates two segments of track purchased by the State from the Burlington
Northern and Santa Fe Railway. The two segments, Stillwater to Pawnee and
Oklahoma City to Sapulpa, are operated
under separate track lease and operating
agreements, which were initiated in June
1998. To date the SKO has returned
$234,303.90 to the State on these operations.
ODOT has also collected $19,945.68 in
miscellaneous income from lease payments
and land sales on rail lines leased or sold through December 2002.
Of the total 866.93 miles of railroad properties owned by the State, 814.90 miles
(94%) are leased to operating carriers at this time. Total income to the State from
all such operations for the nineteen-year period from November 1981, when the
first freight operation was initiated, through December 2002, was $24,962,246.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 21
Rail Programs Accounting Summary
Acquisitions $34,220,571.00
Rehabilitations Materials & Projects $9,769,778.18
Total State Funds InvestedlExpended
For The Years 1981 through 1999 $43,990,349.18
Total Federal Railroad Administration
Grants Expended on State Properties $10,353,452.00
Total Local Match (Non-State)
Expended on State Properties $1,763,23l.00
Total Funds Invested for
State Properties& Rail Program $56,107,032.18
Total Income From State
Owned Rail Properties $24,962,245.54
Proposed Projects
One of the primary responsibilities of the Rail Programs Division is to identify rail
related improvement projects that would greatly enhance operations or facilitate
additional customers. The scope of these projects include various types of
improvements selected to facilitate the better utilization of State owned track.
Once the projects have been identified, the projects are prioritized based on
potential customer and operator benefits. The Rail Programs staff normally
provides recommendations regarding the prioritization of projects; however, the
final decision for project authorization rests with the Department's executive staff.
The primary funding responsibilities of the Rail Programs Division are the
identification of available State funds for the proposed rail improvements, the
identification of potential external funding sources, the development of accurate
cost estimates, and the definition of the time constraints anticipated for proposed
funding allocations.
The Rail Programs Division has developed the following list of eighteen proposed
projects that have been identified as economically feasible. These projects have
been divided into two distinct categories; three projects presently considered to be
industrial development projects and fifteen projects considered to be track
rehabilitation projects. Industrial Development Projects are projects anticipated to
have a substantial impact on industries that will benefit from access or enhanced
access to rail service.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 22
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS State Portion Total
1 Construct siding at Redoak (AOK) $200,000 $400,000
2 Reconstruct BNSFIUP Interchange at Fort Sill for switching $150,000 $450,000
3 Connnection track Port of Muskogee (Active, Not Complete) $1,000,000 $2,000,000
Total Industrial Development Expenditures $1,350,000 $2,850,00Q
Track rehabilitation projects cover a broader range of improvements that are
focused primarily on maintaining or enhancing rail operations. These
improvements include track and bridge rehabilitation as well as enhanced access
improvements provided through switch, diamond, or connection improvements.
The following table identifies anticipated improvements and the priority presently
established for each proposed improvement.
TRACK REHABILITATION PROJECTS State Portion Total
1 Elk City to Sayre (Farmrail). $417,500 $835,000
2 Rehabilitate oortion of Midwest City Branch (SKOL). $300,000 $450,000
3 Class III Rehab, Sapulpa to Oklahoma City $1,000,000 $1,250,000
4 Reconstruct Weston Bridge at Thomas (Farmrail). $150,000 $300,000
5 SKOL / UP Crossing Diamond (SKOL) (Amtrak). $50,000 $125,000
6 WTJIBNSF Crossing Diamond (WTJ). $50,000 $125000
7 AOKIUP Crossing Diamond (AOK). $50,000 $125,000
8 Rework Harter Yard for p'assenger route (SKOL)(Amtrak)' $500 000 $1,000 000
9 Reconstruct Hydro Bridge (Farmrail). $1,000,000 $1,750,000
10 Riorao Deer Creek Hydro - Weatherford (Farmrail). $500,000 $500,000
11 Rehab Hydro - Weatherford (Farmrail). $200,000 $400,000
12 Bridge Repair Hydro - Bridgeport (AT&L). $10,151,500 $10 151,~
13 Riprap Hydro - Bridgeport (AT&L). $741,300 $741,300
14 Rehab Hydro - Bridg!'!P9rt (AT&L). $12,857,700 $12,857,700
15 Construct interchange track, El Reno (AT&L)(UP) $500,000 $1.000.000
Total Rehabilitation Expenditures c...~.... oJ 1J.oi.~.• J",,"VI. $28,468,000 $31.61O,5ti1i 23
Budgetary constraints obviously dictate the number and type of improvements that
will be conducted as funding becomes available. The total anticipated
expenditures associated with all of the improvements identified during the
prioritization procedures are outlined in the following table.
Port Intermodal Facilities
Oklahoma presently has two main ports served by the Kerr-McClellan
Navigational Channel that are served by rail and provide an alternative
transportation mode from the Gulf of Mexico to near Tulsa via the Mississippi and
Arkansas Rivers. The two rail served ports in the State of Oklahoma are the Port
of Muskogee and the Port of Catoosa. The potential for the expansion of
rail/seaport intermodal activities at these facilities will be highly dependant on the
enhancement of present rail access. Limited access at the Port of Muskogee and
a limited amount of track capacity at the Port of Catoosa have restricted the
development of intermodal freight transfer at both facilities. The combined total
investment in Oklahoma Port facilities is well over $1.5 Billion, which has created
over 5000 jobs at the over 80 facilities located on the 54 mile waterway, with a
total payroll of over $200 million per year.
Port of Muskogee
The Port of Muskogee presently ships an abundant amount of pipe, coiled steel,
petroleum coke, sand, and asphalt products via intermodal operations involving
rail freight transportation. The inbound shipments being offloaded from barges to
railcars presently include pipe, coiled steel, asphalt, and petroleum coke products.
Outbound shipments being loaded onto barges include pipe, coiled steel, sand
and petroleum coke products. Ground facilities at the Port include 10 industrial
facilities with 30 acres of improved outside storage facilities and over 94,000
square feet of indoor warehouse storage. The present transloading facilities that
are frequently utilized for rail intermodal freight transfers include two 450
ton/hour hopper systems used to feed conveyor systems for transloading bulk
materials. Present rail operations involve handling over 7000 cars/year, however
the Port is presently in the process of expanding their rail operations to facilitate
Unit Coal Trains for the Georgia Pacific plant. Other transloading infrastructure
that provides additional intermodal rail capacity not fully utilized during present
operations includes overhead cranes for trailer on flat car (TOFC), container on
flat car (COFC), or large material transloading, liquid transloading equipment,
several warehouse facilities, and approximately 9 miles of track for the storage,
switching, and transfer of materials transported via rail.
The Port of Muskogee Railroad (PMR)is presently served by the UP, although the
BNSF has service in relatively close proximity to the existing port facilities. The UP
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 24
and the BNSF share rail service opportunities in the Muskogee area with the BNSF
having trackage rights on the UP line between Tulsa and Muskogee. One of the
primary improvements presently being sought by the port is an extension of
existing port rail facilities to provide direct access to the BNSF. This would provide
a competitive shipping market for port tenants, which would enhance the
feasibility of the utilization of rail shipping to and from the port. With enhanced
rail access and the corresponding competitive rail shipping rates many of the
existing transloading facilities presently not being utilized to their full potential
would be more likely to have better utilization through rail related shipping
activities. The preliminary cost estimate for the development of direct access to the
BNSF from the port is approximately $2,000,000.
Port of Catoosa
The Port of Catoosa presently ships an abundant amount of steel products; pipe,
coiled steel, steel plates and structural steel as well as petroleum products, grain,
fertilizer, various liquid products, and asphalt products via intermodal operations
involving rail transportation. While most products are shipped via rail both
inbound and outbound through the Port, the bulk of individual material transfers
being shipped inbound or outbound are listed below. Inbound shipments being
offloaded from barges to railcars presently include steel products, petroleum
products, fertilizer, grain, and some hazardous materials including Chlorine.
Outbound shipments being loaded onto barges include petroleum products,
fertilizer, molasses, and hazardous materials. Port railroad equipment includes 2
locomotives and approximately 13 miles of track serving a grain elevator, dry bulk
facility, 4 docks equipped with liquid transfer facilities, and the majority of the
warehouses and outdoor storage facilities. One large travel crane and several
portable cranes facilitate rail car loading and unloading throughout the Port.
These facilities provide the capability for trailer on flat car (TOFC) or container on
flat car (COFC) transloading. Present rail operations involve handling over 7000
cars/year with most of the rail movements requiring railcars to be cut in a
marshalling yard operation to reduce the size of the individual trains distributed
for loading or unloading within the Port. The number of rail cars handled by the
Port has grown approximately 10% per year over the past few years resulting in an
increasing number of rail capacity issues. With competitive access to the UP via
the SKO and a direct BNSF connection, the primary issue of concern at the Port of
Catoosa is the increasing need for additional rail capacity for marshaling and
other storage or switching activities.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 25
TOTAL PROGRAM EXPENDITURES State Portion Total
Total Industrial Development Expenditures $1,350,000 $2,850,000
Total Track Rehabilitation Expenditures $28,468,000 $31,610,500
Total Expenditures $29,818,000 $34,460,500
Safety Program
Safety projects are coordinated through the ODOT Rail Programs Division for all
of the public highway/rail crossings on all of the rail routes within the State
regardless of legal jurisdiction (i.e., State, City, County, Township).
Present Oklahoma Rail Network
The general types of Safety Projects are segregated into three primary areas
including the signalization or upgrade of single locations identified utilizing a
prioritization ranking, improvements focused on maintaining statewide minimum
requirements, and corridor segment safety improvements focused on the
elimination or consolidation of existing crossing locations. Improvements
associated with highway construction projects or other types of improvements are
normally conducted separate from safety program efforts.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 26
A summary of the Incident statistics associated with the ODOT rail corridor safety
improvement program provides positive verification that safety improvements
completed by the ODOT Rail Programs Division
since the inception of the program have resulted
in significant reductions in highway/rail
intersection crashes. A large component of the
success of the overall program is believed to be
associated with the various programs developed
for the allocation of State, Federal, and Local
funding for rail safety improvements. The
primary programs include single location
improvements based on the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) Incident ranking, locations ranked based on geometric
criteria collected in recent crossing inventory updates, and corridor safety
improvements whereby all of the crossings in a common jurisdiction are upgraded
provided that a minimum of 25% of the crossing locations can be eliminated.
Oklahoma presently has one of the most detailed and up to date highway/rail
crossing inventories in the nation. Over the past 15 years the evolution of the
prioritization methods, the maintenance of an accurate grade crossing inventory,
and the development of sound procedures for crossing consolidation or
elimination have allowed the ODOT Rail Division to formulate what has resulted
into one of the most aggressive and successful programs in the nation. The
following statistics reveal the trends associated with crashes at highway/rail
intersections for the State of Oklahoma and illustrate the increased exposure
associated with increases in highway traffic volumes.
Railroad Crossing Collisions vs. Total Vehicle Mileage
350
300
250
200
U 150
100
50
0
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
o
Year
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 27
The corridor program developed by ODOT has received regional recognition at
the Federal level, being identified as one of the most aggressive and successful
programs in the nation. Over the past 10 years the majority of large metropolitan
areas and urban areas with populations in excess of 5000 citizens throughout the
State have been evaluated for railroad corridor safety improvements. Corridors
have been implemented in metropolitan areas, urban areas, cities, townships, and
counties throughout the State during the course of the program. The success of
this program has been a direct result of the amount of funding flexibility
intentionally included in the program to help gain consensus at the local level.
The State of Oklahoma presently does not have any legislative or judicial rulings
in place that facilitate the forced closure of a railroad grade crossing.
Consequently, all of the closures in the State of Oklahoma have been by
consensus. The corridor program is based on the Federal concept that the local
entity must consent to the closure of a minimum of 25% of the crossing locations
within their jurisdiction, to be eligible for Federal grade crossing safety funding to
update all of the remaining locations with signals, surfaces, and the appropriate
roadway access, regardless of the priority ranking of any of the crossings under
consideration.
Passenger Rail Activities
Amtrak/Heartland Flyer
March 19, 1998, marked the beginning of the return of rail passenger service to
Oklahoma. This reimplementation of service in Oklahoma became a reality after
$23 million of funding was secured for passenger rail service, through the Tax
Relief Act of 1997. The partnership between Amtrak and State officials was
initiated immediately with the formulation of an Oklahoma/Amtrak Project Team
and the inaugural train for the "Heartland Flyer Service" ran on June 14, 1999.
Individual community led efforts were initiated to modify five Oklahoma and one
Texas station/platforms with federal enhancement funding. Amtrak also
expressed an interest in expanding its national
passenger rail network in the south central
United States beyond Oklahoma City
reporting that the addition of a Tulsa to
Oklahoma City service would benefit its
overall operation as well as help revive rail
passenger service in this area. The results of
the initial passenger rail study conducted by
the Rail Programs Division verify these
observations.
OOOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 28
Expenditures $
19,706,333.31
The actual "Heartland Flyer" service has been initiated as "Phase 1 of planned
passenger rail services in the State of Oklahoma. The present service is daily,
leaving Oklahoma City at 8:25 a.m. and returning at 9:55 p.m. Station stops are
Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley, Ardmore, and Gainesville, Texas. Construction
work and modifications to five Oklahoma and one Texas stations/platforms were
completed between 2000 and 2003. The Oklahoma City station is located in the
former Santa Fe Depot and required more extensive modifications. All of the
station renovations utilized Federal enhancement funds in conjunction with local
matching funds.
Ridership of the Heartland Flyer has been consistently higher than expected.
Expenditures and revenues are available through December 2002. The
breakdown of regular service ending December 31, 2002, is as follows:
Ridership
211,413
Ticket Revenue $
4,341,689
Average monthly ridership is over 5000 for the initial 43 Months of service.
The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company has completed
improvements to their main line track and sidings in Oklahoma, that have allowed
train speeds to be increased to 60 mph in many areas, which has resulted in
better on-time performance of the Heartland Flyer service. Additional work on the
grade crossing signal circuit approaches is presently underway that would allow
passenger operating speeds to increase to 79 MPH. A tentative schedule for
completion of all of the necessary signal improvements is December of 2003. The
next anticipated enhancements would involve the upgrade of trackage and
signalization in the State of Texas.
Tulsa to Oklahoma City Commuter Route
The Oklahoma City to Tulsa route was evaluated in great detail for both
conventional passenger rail operations and High-Speed passenger rail operations,
which will be covered later in this report. The most desirable attributes of this
route for conventional passenger rail operations are the fact that the State actually
owns over eighty percent of the existing track between Tulsa and Oklahoma City
and that the distance between the two largest metropolitan areas in the State of
Oklahoma is only slightly over 100 miles. These attributes provide the opportunity
for a rail connection that could be competitive with other ground transportation
modes and extremely competitive air transportation modes.
Additional analysis focused on specific geometric improvements, including the
construction of a direct turn connection between the existing ODOT-owned Union
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 29
Pacific route and the BNSF mainline in Oklahoma City. The existing connection
between the ODOT Union Pacific route and BNSF mainline in Oklahoma City
requires a reverse train movement that requires just over six minutes to complete.
Other geometric improvements considered were the incremental improvement of
the most restrictive or "sharpest" curves along the route. The geometric analysis
indicates that there are 138 curves on the ODOT alignment between Oklahoma
City and Tulsa, which would presently require in a travel time of 2 hours and 39
minutes.
This analysis revealed that approximately 16 minutes of the travel time from
Oklahoma City to Tulsa could be reduced with improvements to 43 curves, or 31
percent of the total number of curves on the OOOT alignment (Phase One
improvements). Improvements to an additional 25 additional curves (Phase Two
improvements) would further enhance the travel time by approximately 13 minutes
using the existing alignment. The final analysis of the existing alignment indicated
that a travel time of 2 hours and 10 minutes could be achieved using conventional
equipment with the recommended improvements to 68 curves along the
alignment (Phase One and Two improvements). The total cost for these
improvements are anticipated to be approximately $108 million.
The actual run times for each proposed implementation phase will vary slightly
from the values listed in figure below because of potential changes in the number
of station stops or other operational distractions.
I Travel Time (mins)
Track Conditions Conventional Equipment
Existing GeometrY. 159
W/Phase One Improvements 146
W/F'hase Two ImQrovements 130
W/ldeal Operatinq Geometry 97
The fourth option in the figure above involved a more in-depth analysis of the
OOOT route between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. This option considered whether
actual realignment of the rail on certain portions of the route could facilitate faster
or higher levels of operation in the future. The "improved alignment" included the
construction of approximately 37 miles of new track at various locations
throughout the existing 119-mile alignment to reduce the number of curves and
facilitate incrementally higher operating speeds as the route is further developed.
The travel time calculated on the new alignment using conventional equipment
was reduced to an estimated 2 hours and 3 minutes at a cost of $110 million.
The travel could be further reduced by an additional 10 minutes with the
construction of a run-around track at the BNSF Cherokee Yard in Tulsa for an
estimated cost of approximately $10 million. A further reduction of six additional
30
minutes could be realized with the construction of a direction connection wye track
on the Oklahoma City end of the route at an estimated cost of between $5 and $7
million. An additional travel time reduction of approximately 20 minutes could be
realized on the new alignment if cab signaling was implemented to allow for
speeds in excess of 79 MPH. The travel time could be reduced to approximately 1
hour and 45 minutes with the track improvements mentioned above using
conventional equipment travel at 79 MPH or less for an estimated cost of
approximately $153 million. The travel time potentially possible with all of the
above mentioned improvements including the implementation of cab signaling
could be reduced to approximately and one hour and 30 minutes.
The most reasonable and cost effective implementation of service between Tulsa
and Oklahoma City would most likely involve incremental improvements designed
to establish the service as early as possible and progressively improve the service
to desired levels. An initial service between West Tulsa (Red Fork) and Oklahoma
City with a travel time of 2 hours and 39 minutes could be implemented in a
relatively short time frame with an infrastructure cost excluding any needed station
improvements expected not to exceed $12.5 Million. Additional equipment
expenses would be required to implement the service, the cost of which would vary
depending on the source of the service. The equipment costs would be expected
to be approximately $13 million if an operator who would provide the equipment
were not identified and the actual purchase of the equipment were necessary to
implement service. The initial service could be either a basic peak day or daily
service with one train set providing one run in each direction per day of operation.
The most logical construction improvement phasing would most likely be to first
implement the improvements on both ends of the route providing access to
downtown Tulsa and a smoother transition to and from the Santa Fe Depot in
Oklahoma City onto the OKC to Tulsa route. The enhanced access between the
BNSF and the UP in downtown OKC has also been discussed as one of the best
options for facilitating rail operations that will be eliminated or complicated by the
construction of the 1-40 Crosstown Expressway. Access to downtown Tulsa could
be provided through the BNSF Cherokee Yard for up to four train movements per
day under the current operating agreement, which was negotiated between
ODOT and the railroad in conjunction with the purchase of the state owned line
between Sapulpa and Oklahoma City. However, the construction of a run around
track without the speed restrictions imposed by yard operations would reduce the
travel time to downtown Tulsa by ten minutes and eliminate the present yard
restrictions. For the purposes of this report, any station improvements are
assumed to be coordinated at the local level, similar to the implementation
activities on the Heartland Flyer service between OKC and Ft. Worth, Texas.
31
A separate stage of development would focus on the implementation of the
communication improvements needed to ultimately facilitate maximum speed train
operations utilizing either CTC or cab signal control technology. These
improvements could be phased according to the amount of travel time reduction
anticipated along the segment(s) selected for a particular phase of construction
directed toward geometric improvements, in an attempt to maximum the overall
travel time reduction as efficiently and quickly as possible. A commitment for the
completion of the signal improvements proposed for the entire route would be
needed in order to realize the full benefit of the proposed new alignment
modifications. The phasing for the improvements may require some
rearrangement if a solid commitment for the completion of all of the realignment
improvements cannot be obtained. A summary of the travel times and anticipated
cost associated with each phase of development on the Tulsa to Oklahoma City
corridor is provided below.
Travel Time Comparisons for Tulsa to Oklahoma City
Travel Time Comparisons (minutes)
Canst. Signal Est. Time Reduction Est. Cost Total Cost
Phase Phase (minutes) (minutes) (millions) (millions)
Tulsa to Oklahoma City' 159 26 1
Tulsa to Oklahoma City" 1 143 16 26 52
Tulsa to Oklahoma City. ••• 2 1A 130 13 56 108 !
Tulsa to Oklahoma City···· 3 1B 114 16 35 143
Tulsa to Oklahoma City····· 2 103 11 10 153 j
/\ . Includes track resurfacing and control signal installation on BNSF to Perry. and one conventional train set.
• - Includes initial track resurfacing and the purchase of one conventional train set.
•• - Includes the completion of Construction Phase 1.
••• - Inlcudes the completion of Construction Phase 2 and Signal installation Phase 1A.
•••• - Includes the completion of Construction Phase 3 and Signal installation Phase 1B.
••••• - Includes the purchase of two additional train sets and the implementation of Cab Signal Control.
Oklahoma High Speed Passenger Rail Feasibility Study
The potential for expanded passenger rail service in the State of Oklahoma
indicates positive potential benefits for both short-term and longer-term
expansion. A connection to the North or East with the national passenger rail
network would provide additional mobility, potential for economic growth, and
long-term air quality benefits to the citizens of Oklahoma.
The expansion of the Heartland Flyer service between Oklahoma City and
Newton, Kansas to establish a connection to the national passenger system to the
north would be extremely beneficial to the continued success and expansion of the
present service. Another expansion option, recently discussed was the possibility
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 32
of rerouting the Southwest Chief through Perry, Enid and Amarillo, prior to
rejoining the existing route in Albuquerque. This would allow the extension of the
Heartland Flyer to be limited to the segment between Oklahoma City and Perry,
which is in predominately good condition with high potential for fast and efficient
passenger operations. The implementation of an expanded Heartland Flyer
service to either Newton or Perry could be accomplished using the present
equipment and without any additional equipment maintenance facilities. The
initial rail infrastructure costs for extending the Heartland Flyer service to Newton
excluding any station improvements is anticipated to be in the neighborhood of
five million dollars with 2.9 million dollars of track-related improvement in the
State of Oklahoma and 2.1 million dollars of track-related improvement in the
State of Kansas. The anticipated rail infrastructure cost to extend the Heartland
Flyer service to Perry is less than 1 million dollars. Extended service to the North in
Oklahoma would provide connections with the Southwest Chief Service from Los
Angeles to Chicago.
Longer-term goals for the expansion of the Heartland Flyer service include the
extension of service through the foothills of southern Colorado to Denver.
Expanding the Heartland Flyer service to Denver would require an additional train
consist and maintenance services in Denver to facilitate train operations between
Ft. Worth and Denver. The anticipated cost for expanding the Heartland Flyer
service on up to Denver from Newton are estimated to be an additional 37 million
dollars, 24 million of which would be needed in the State of Colorado, 1 million in
the State of Kansas, and 12 million for the additional train set. The anticipated
travel from Oklahoma City would be reduced from the present travel time by the
Southwest Chief via bus connection by over 7 hours traveling from Denver and just
under 3 hours traveling to Denver.
Other goals include the implementation of service between Tulsa and Oklahoma
City to establish the nucleus for the development of adding passenger rail service
between the two largest metropolitan areas in the State of Oklahoma.
Establishing and developing a commuter service between Tulsa and Oklahoma
City would foster the development of an additional connection to the national
passenger rail system east of
Oklahoma. From Tulsa, Kansas
City appears to be the most
desirable connection and could
potentially be implemented on
existing rail routes with only
standard improvements. St. Louis
is another possible connection
point to the east that is more
appealing to the State of Missouri;
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 33
however, the Tulsa to St. Louis connection would require more extensive
improvements for the implementation of desirable service. The success of any
eastern connection by rail from Tulsa would be highly dependent on the
development of an acceptable travel time and connection between Oklahoma City
and Tulsa.
High Speed Rail Initiative
A significant accomplishment of the original Oklahoma High Speed Passenger
Rail Feasibility Study was the completion of a successful application for
designation by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)and the U.S. Department
of Transportation (DOT) as a High Speed Rail Corridor from Ft. Worth to Tulsa.
The corridor from Ft. Worth to Tulsa via Oklahoma City was designated as a HSR
rail corridor by the USDOT on October 11, 2000, as a result of the State of
Oklahoma's rail planning efforts.
The primary route from Ft. Worth to Oklahoma City on the (BNSF) Red Rock
Subdivision is presently being modified to increase operating speeds up to 79
MPH from Oklahoma City to the Red River which is expected to reduce the present
travel time on the Heartland Flyer from Oklahoma City to Ft. Worth by
approximately 35 minutes. Preliminary travel time projections indicate that the
present total travel time of Four hours and 30 Minutes can be reduced to Three
hours and 30 minutes with similar improvements in Texas, which would be
extremely competitive with present automobile travel times under favorable
conditions.
The Oklahoma City to Tulsa segment would be an extremely important
component of passenger rail service throughout the designated South Central
High Speed Rail Corridors because of the potential for an eastern connection
linking the Midwest Regional Rail System to the designated South Central
corridors. A recent study conducted by the Kansas Department of Transportation
indicates that the Tulsa to Kansas City route has the second highest potential for
successful high-speed rail operations in the State of Kansas just behind a
proposed high-speed connection between Wichita and Kansas City. One
significant challenge for the development of the Oklahoma City to Tulsa corridor
will be to develop a service that would be faster or highly competitive with existing
automobile travel times on the Turner Turnpike. In order to be competitive with
existing travel time via automobile on the segment between Oklahoma City and
Tulsa, passenger rail operations in excess of 90 MPH would be required, which
prompted a more in depth High Speed route evaluation. The existing track
infrastructure would require a significant amount of realignment and upgrade in
order to be competitive with present automobile travel times on the Turner
Turnpike. The existing ODOT route is also utilized for freight operations by the
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 34
Stillwater Central Railroad Company and preliminary investigations have been
conducted to establish overnight intermodal transport operations between Tulsa
and Oklahoma City, which would significantly increase freight traffic on the route.
The present automobile travel time from Oklahoma City to Tulsa via the Turner
Turnpike is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes from city center to city center
under favorable conditions. Travel time forecasts for High Speed Rail indicate that
rail service could be established that would facilitate a travel time of just over an
hour between the two largest central business districts in the State of Oklahoma
and just under an hour and a half between Will Rogers World and Tulsa
International airports. This type of service would provide the connectivity needed
to establish feasible through rail service from Tulsa to the north or east as well as
provide the opportunity for more efficient daily employment commutes or business
and/or recreational travel between or from Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
The High-Speed Rail studies helped Oklahoma qualify to receive funding for aerial
mapping data collection. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), "FLI-Mapping"
funds have only been provided on a few select designated HSR
corridors in the nation and are presently one of the only sources of funding
currently available for High-Speed Rail development. The FLI-Mapping
information recently collected in Oklahoma will be crucial in the further
enhancement of the existing service between Ft. Worth and Oklahoma City as well
as establishing competitive service to Tulsa.
The proposed rail connection between Oklahoma City and Tulsa was developed
using two primary corridors with various alternative options on either end of the
core corridors for the final connections to Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma
City and to Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa. All of the corridors proposed
would facilitate an overall travel time between the central business districts of less
than 70 minutes and an overall travel time between the airports of less than 90
minutes when operated at speeds up to 150 MPH where possible. The schedules
shown below include provisions for a stop in Sapulpa for both route alternatives
with Route 135 allowing for an
additional stop near the Turner Turnpike
entrance in Edmond. Several variations
of these schedules were developed to be
incorporated into the economic benefit
analysis being conducted by the
Oklahoma Transportation Center,
including weekend and holiday
operations.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION
HSR Project Study Corridors
35
Proposed OKC/T ulsa High Speed Schedules
IRoute 235j
IWeekday Schedule (during normal school year) I
Train #1 Train #3 Train #5 Train #7 Train #9
WR arpt Depart 6:30 AM 9:30 AM 11:30 PM 6:00 PM 10:30 PM
OKe Arrive 6:40 AM 9:40 AM 11:40 PM 6:10 PM 10:40 PM
Sapulpa Arrive 7:31 AM 10:31 AM 12:31 AM 7:01 PM 11 :31 PM
Tulsa Arrive 7:46 AM 10:46 AM 12:46 AM 7:16 PM 11 :46 PM
Tullnt. Arrive 7:56 AM 10:56 AM 12:56 AM 7:26 PM 11 :56 PM
Train #2 Train #4 Train #6 Train #8 Train #10
Tullnt. Depart 6:30 AM 9:30 AM 11:30 AM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM
Tulsa Arrive 6:36 AM 9:36 AM 11:36 AM 6:06 PM 8:51 PM
Sapulpa Arrive 6:51 AM 9:51 AM 11:51 AM 6:21 PM 9:06 PM
OKe Arrive 7:42 AM 10:42 AM 12:42 PM 7:12 PM 9:57 PM
WR arpt Arrive 7:56 AM 10:56 AM 12:56 PM 7:26 PM 10:11 PM
Heartland Flyer Connections
The corridors evaluated were defined based on existing land development,
previous rail studies and the criteria previously established in the ODOT High
Speed Passenger Rail Feasibility Study. Bolded departure times represent
Heartland Flyer connections.
Weekday Summer Schedule
Train #1 Train #3 Train #5 Train #7 Train #9
WR Depart 6:50 AM 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 10:40 PM
OKe Arrive 7:00 AM 10:10 AM 4:10 PM 6:10 PM 10:50 PM
Edmond Arrive 7:14 AM 10:24 AM 4:24 PM 6:24 PM 11 :04 PM
Sapulpa Arrive 7:54 AM 11:04 AM 5:04 PM 7:04 PM 11 :44 PM
Tulsa Arrive 8:09 AM 11:19 AM 5:19 PM 7:19 PM 11 :59 PM
TI Arrive 8:19 AM 11:29 AM 5:29 PM 7:29 PM 12:09 AM
Train #2 Train #4 Train #6 Train #8 Train #10
TI Depart 6:50 AM 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 9:00 PM
Tulsa Arrive 6:56AM 10:06 AM 4:06 PM 6:06 PM 9:06 PM
Sapulpa Arrive 7:11 AM 10:21 AM 4:21 PM 6:21 PM 9:21 PM
Edmond Arrive 7:51 AM 11:01 AM 5:01 PM 7:01 PM 10:01 PM
OKe Arrive 8:05 AM 11:15 AM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 10:15 PM
WR Arrive 8:19 AM 11:29 AM 5:29 PM 7:29 PM 10:29 PM
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 36
FUTURE OF THE PROGRAM
The objectives of the ODOT Rail Programs Division remain the continued support
of safe and efficient rail operations throughout the State. Thanks to the foresight
of past gubernatorial and legislative efforts rail freight transportation remains a
vital component of the Oklahoma transportation network, providing alternative
transportation to multiple industries throughout the State and helping to minimize
the amount of damage to the highway infrastructure associated with freight
movements via truck. The positive impacts of rail freight transportation versus
conventional roadway freight transportation are commonly equated using
calculations based on projections that the average rail freight car transports an
amount of freight equivalent to four semi-truck loads. For every rail car
transported on either public or private rail infrastructure approximately four semi-truck
loads are diverted from the highway infrastructure for all or a portion of the
trip. With the continued degradation of an aging highway infrastructure, other
freight transportation alternatives are becoming increasingly important. Air quality
is also becoming an increasingly important issue in the metropolitan areas of
Oklahoma, as it has in many other major cities throughout the nation. While
Oklahoma presently does not have any non-compliance areas with regard to air
quality, our metropolitan areas have continued to inch closer to non-compliance
each year. Freight Rail transport has a significantly positive impact on air quality
by providing the more efficient movement of goods and services and a substantial
reduction in the number of diesel trucks utilized to transport goods throughout the
State.
With the continued evolution of the rail industry to more efficient operations the
existing programs will require continued upgrade in order to facilitate the ever-changing
railroad business environment. While many of the changes that may be
necessary to sustain efficient operations can be more readily determined,
responsible administrative policies are harder to identify prior to the
implementation of actual changes in operating practices or policies, one of the
primary goals of the Rail Programs Division will be to continue to maintain a
presence in regional and national
organizations for the compilation and
dissemination of important industry
related trends and information. One
primary issue to be addressed over
the next year will be the continued
development of a rail rehabilitation
loan program for the State of
Oklahoma.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 37
Administrative Changes
The 2002 Oklahoma State legislature adopted the "Railroad Rehabilitation Act"
under Senate Bill 1534, which created a new section of law, codified as Section
309.3 of Title 66 (66 O.S. Supp. 2002, See. 309.3). This new section provides the
authorization to ODOT for the development of railroad loan program that would
make funding from the Railroad Revolving Maintenance Fund available to rail
operators throughout the State for the rehabilitation of existing rail infrastructure.
The application format has been approved and the applications have been
distributed to potentially eligible operators throughout the State. The loans will be
limited to a total of $5 million annually and will be funded directly from the
Railroad Maintenance Revolving Fund with the total amount of the loans limited to
no more than 50% of the total amount of the RMRFat any point in time. The
anticipated improvements resulting from the loan program include the continued
improvement of the existing infrastructure to facilitate the heavier carloads
prevalent throughout the rail industry. Modern operating trends have resulted in a
significant number of two hundred and eighty-six thousand pound (286K)
carloads being utilized in Class One and Class Three operations. To further
complicate rail freight operations, modern trends have evolved into the increased
use of rail cars capable of facilitating loads up to 315K. We anticipate that the
majority of loans will be to short line operators, with most of the available funding
utilized to upgrade existing routes to sufficiently facilitate increased loads.
Since the adoption of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)
in 1991, funding for local freight rail improvements has been limited to private
and State funding sources. The provisions set forth in ISTEAeliminated the Local
Rail Freight Assistance Program (LRFA)from which Oklahoma freight railroads
were fortunate to obtain a substantial amount of funding, primarily because of the
strong rail programs administered by ODOT. The loss of the LRFAsignificantly
impacted long term maintenance and construction efforts implemented by
Shortline operators throughout the State.
Oklahoma Short Line Operators
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 38
Administrative Challenges
The loan program initiated by the Railroad Rehabilitation Act requires the OOOT
Rail Programs Division to develop a plan for the loan program that includes
provisions for the development of the terms and the approval processes for the
proposed loans, the development of any necessary rules or specific limitations for
the use of the funds acquired through the loan processes, as well as the
mechanisms by which the loans will be distributed. One of the significant
challenges associated with this new program will be the fair and equal distribution
of the loans, and the development of sufficient guidelines for administering the
program. Guidelines will be required to assess recipient qualifications, develop
the distribution methods, develop methods for monitoring the progress of the
associated improvements, and to develop methods for ensuring the timely
reimbursement of any loaned funds. While a few other States have developed this
type of program, the unique operating arrangements utilized on State-owned
properties in the State of Oklahoma will demand careful consideration during the
adoption of any guidelines or policies developed to administer the loans. An
emergency Transportation Commission Rule (Title 730, Sec. 40, Chapter 3) has
been filed with the Secretary of State through the Office of Administrative Rules,
which has allowed the loan program to be initiated. The emergency rule extends
through July 2003 and the paperwork to file a permanent rule for the loan
program is on schedule to be finalized by the end of April 2003.
ODOT RAIL PROGRAMS DIVISION 39
JUL 19 2011